One Indomitable Heart
by SheWhoWalksUnseen1902
Summary: Unfit for service during the events of Order 66, Captain Rex has been spared from living his nightmares, but will have to face the one that is the Empire he now serves. Destined to serve Lord Vader as the machine-like man searches for and kills the last of the force users, Rex must choose between a life of lies or one of hope. Will one clone be able to make a difference? RexSoka AU
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I haven't written a real story in a very long time, and this is my first ever Star Wars related one; so forgive me if I make huge mistakes. I've done a lot of research and hope to learn more about these characters as time goes on.**

 **Please tell me what you think!**

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The steady sound of battle droids moving past the 501st was like an itch that had to be scratched, or in this case; shot. Captain Rex was hunched down behind a boulder, a giant rock formation hanging above him and his men as they prepared their ambush. Clankers moved past them in a stead line, two tanks bringing up the read of the squadron.

Rex nodded to Jesse once the droids had passed, motioning for the men to retreat out of the canyon with his DC-17's in hand. The clones moved with surprising speed and agility, white and blue soldiers walking with a wave-like grace. Pride filled the clone as he watched his men move in sync, these moments of harmony being few and far between. "Alright Jesse, Let's blow this thing." Rex shouted over his comm, watching his second in command press the detonator with barely-restrained gusto.

Dust whipped through the canyon as the entire arch trembled and cracked. The droids began to scatter as they realized their impending doom, attempting to flee. Rex raised one DC-17, his blaster bolt frying the nearest tinny.

The Five-Oh-First was quick to eliminate any runaway clankers, pausing to study their handiwork as it came crashing down. The once beautiful arch had been laced with explosives, and once the men had cleared the blast radius Jesse had sent the whole mountain crashing into the canyon. Smoke wafted out from between the boulders, several smaller explosions still rumbling through the earth. Regardless of the dust the clone troopers were enjoying their victory, and they whooped and hollered in triumph; some even dancing around with their vode.

Rex grinned; it wasn't often that ambushes went as planned, especially on Ryloth.

The Separatists had once again tried to retake the valuable planet, and the Republic had dispatched General Skywalker and Kenobi to eliminate the Separatist threat looming over the war-torn system. The 212th was with General Kenobi, taking a more direct approach at destroying the droid army's new base, whereas the Five-Oh-First was tasked with eliminating stragglers and transports.

It would appear to be a very good plan; General Skywalker was in the air, General Kenobi and the Clone battalions on the ground. The only thing that didn't make sense was the objectives presented to each group. Cody and his men were far more adept at sneak attacks and ambushes, while Rex was used to running headlong into the fray, supported by his men.

The men understood why they were taking the lesser end of the stick though. They were achingly aware of why the General didn't entrust them with destroying the droid base... Why they were viewed with pity.

Fives.

One clone who had earned the trust and appreciation of every soldier in the Five-Oh-First. The former ARC trooper had been one of Rex's closest friends, and his loss was like an open wound in the Captain's side. A fresh hurt in every vode' mind.

Why couldn't they just move on like they did with countless brothers? Because Fives hadn't had a choice. He was shot down due to a parasite that had short circuited his implant. It had taken the Fives everyone knew, and had made him do things every clone knew was treason. But had he been _unsalvageable_? If there was anyone that could have recovered it was Fives. But no one had time for an ARC trooper who was _defective_.

Rex's hand clenched in a sudden burst of anger. He closed his eyes, looking at his men. They were strong, and would move on. They could have handled the droid base. Jumping when a hand landed on his shoulder, the clone drew his arm back to elbow the offender in the gut, instincts taking over.

"Whoa! Rex, it's Kix." The medic dodged his attack, moving over to stand at his captain's side. "We did good. No casualties..." The soldier's bucket tilted towards the captain

Rex noted that his friend had switched to a secure frequency; only Rex was meant to hear what Kix was about to say. "It's kinda hard to lose men when the tinny's don't even know where to shoot." He said under his breath, eyeing the motionless brother beside him. _Just get on with it Kix..._

"The men need you to be strong Rex. They're taking this whole assignment very personally. They don't think that the General trusts them... If you could request that _he_ says something to them..." Kix trailed off, leaving the idea to brew in Rex's mind.

Sitting down on a nearby boulder Rex unholstered one DC-17, " _I_ am taking this assignment very personally. He doesn't think I am capable to lead the men now that Fives is... now that _he_ is gone."

Kix sat next to him, clasping his hands in his lap. "The General _does_ trust you. He just wants to take it slow. Jesse isn't used to having this responsibility, and the men aren't used to taking orders from him. They need time to adjust, we all do."

"We don't have time to adjust!" Rex hissed, glaring at the medic through his t-visor. A feeling of shame crept through Rex as his brother crossed his arms and looked at him unwavering. "I'm sorry... It's just, we're at war Kix."

"We aren't machines."

So many of the men Rex appreciated most had that opinion, including Fives. The trooper stood, replacing his blaster where it belonged. "Alright men!" He switched his comm to an open channel, ignoring Kix's comment. "We've managed to kick droid ass _indirectly_ just as well as Commander Cody and the 212th!"

Choked laughter filled the channel, many of the men still comparing the wreckage to the 212ths demolitions. Rex allowed them their moment of companionship, watching Torrent Company as they milled over the 'battlefield'.

"Okay, so now we are gonna go make sure that no one _unfortunately_ managed to avoid the rocks. We don't want to leave the job half-done." Rex then proceeded to get as far from his medic as possible, climbing through the rocks as fast as he possibly could without looking like he was avoiding something. Kix was a good brother, and knew just how to get you so frakking angry that you would spill whatever was bothering you. It was a medic thing.

The men made quick work of searching the wreckage, most barely taking the job seriously when they'd see a half-crushed tinny trying to wield a blaster. Compared to most of their battles this was a battle drill on Kamino for five-year-old shiny's. Sure, it wasn't too long ago that Rex himself had been taking those assignments, but hands-on experience out ruled everything he'd been taught on Kamino. The Kaminoans could dream up test battles as long as they wanted but nothing compared to the real thing.

Once the battlefield was cleared Rex commed the General, his helmet hiding the frown that spread over his face when the jedi appeared. _How am I supposed to explain to_ _ **this**_ _man that the men need his support and trust without sounding biased?_ "General Skywalker, we have eliminated all transports and scouts that were discussed in the briefing. Shall the men and I search out any stragglers?" _Well, you effectively avoided that conversation._

The Jedi's hologram wavered, and the man gripped onto the control panel he was in front of. _They're getting hammered up there. This was supposed to be a small battle.._. Rex's frown deepened, concern for his general making him clench his jaw. "No. General Kenobi and the 212th are locked in combat and aren't making any progress on that base. They need back-up but I can't send air support. You and the men need to get to their position ASAP!" The holo-image wavered again, "You guys did a good job, but I **need** you down there. I know you won't let me down, Rex. Skywalker out."

Sucking a breath through his teeth Rex mentally calculated how long it would take for him to get to Cody and the General's position. "Alright men! Listen up! General Kenobi and the 212th are getting hammered and General Skywalker wants us to go and back them up until air support is available. Let's load up into those drop-ships and move out!" The men had scrambled to attention at the authoritative tone of the captain and set to work like a well oiled machine. The drop ships were loaded in record time; the sound of blaster charges being slammed into their proper places snapped over the roar of the engines, a familiar clatter before men when off the battle.

DC-17s reloaded and put back in the holsters Rex scanned his HUD, downloading the newest information of Cody's situation. The two had trained together in command school, both quickly growing to trust each other with their lives. Cody was a fantastic leader, and knew how to motivate his men when they were overcome with grief for their lost vode. If the clone commander couldn't handle this with all of the 212th behind his back and a Jedi in front then their intel on the droid base was very unreliable.

"Sir, we'll be at the drop zone shortly."

Rex nodded to the trooper beside him, his pauldron adjusting as he raised his left arm to grab the bar over him. Anti-aircraft sounded around them, and he took deep breaths as the smell of artillery powder filled the air. His right hand clenched and unclenched around his DC-17, the clone eager to get two feet on the ground.

The shuttle groaned and veered to the side, shouts sounds over the comm frequency. _Are we going down?_ Righting herself just in time the aircraft scuffed along the grown, the sound of metal tearing filtered out by their buckets. The drop-ship doors opened and Rex and Torrent Company poured onto the Rylothian rock, blaster fire ringing around them.

"We'll form a protective circle around General Kenobi and what's left of the 212th! Move out! Go, go, go!" Rex hollered, unholstering both blasters and aiming them at the nearest droids. In a flash he had retrieved a droid popper of his kama and had hurled it at the nearest cluster of droids, the electricity arcing between the metal before subsiding. The droids fell to the ground, more taking their place.

His men pushed onward; the brothers that fell being avenged by their comrades. The familiar glow of a blue light saber penetrated the field of smoke, and Rex heard General Kenobi giving orders. The 212th had been pushed to the landing platform, and were trying to hold their ground behind and upturned drop ship.

Rex heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar hooded visor of Cody, his friend's armor scuffed and stained, but intact. _At first I thought I'd be walking into another nightmare..._ Men of Torrent Company and others from the Five-Oh-First took up defensive positions around their brothers and the General, the unexpected arrival of another battalion stumping the droids. Jesse and Boil made quick work of a tank, the machine groaning before erupting into flames. The two battalions were familiar with each other, and hope surged through the clones.

"Nice to see you decided to drop by." Rex had made his way over to Cody, his brother's identical voice holding a smile. Cody grasped Rex's forearm mando'an style; the two sharing a quick moment before resuming their fight.

Grinning behind his visor Rex glanced over at Cody, "Well, you know me... Had to visit once you invited me."

"I never would have invited you, Rex." Cody chuckled, breathless from exertion as he traded positions with the captain. "You're too stiff for this kinda party... too many pretty girls."

 _That's rich... Coming from the king of spinsters._

"That's why I came. Have to make sure you actually loosen up." Two more droids fell; smoking holes in their chest plates. Their friendly banter ceased when a blast knocked them off their feet, the two scrambling back to their positions before the smoke cleared. Blaster fire had ceased, the comm frequencies loaded with questions and calls for first-aid kits from Kix and Coric. The smoke screen was clearing, the droids still not visible.

Readjusting his grip on his blasters Rex eyed Cody, his jaw clenching. It was quiet; far too quiet considering that the battle wasn't even close to being won. Where were the droids?

"Grenade!"

Troopers ducked behind ammo crates, and Rex pushed Cody out of the way before tossing himself behind the up-turned drop ship. _Beep, beep, beep, BOOM!_ Rex held his arms over his head as the blast echoed around him. His ears were ringing' his helmet filters not quite sufficient to shield him from the blast. Pain rippled across his shoulder, the shoulder armor battered with metal fragments. His vision was unsteady, and he took deep breaths before crouching. The smoke had cleared, and clankers had retaken the field, brothers and droids falling in heaps on the landing platform.

Tic marks added to his HUD as each vod fell, and he clenched his jaw. He refused to search the list for familiar CT numbers; his resolve hardened. They would end this. A pain hypo numbed the shoulder, and he retook up his previous position.

A sigh escaped him when he spotted Cody's familiar bucket next to General Kenobi, the two holding their position against another wave of droids. _I'm gonna introduce my blaster to whoever fed us this info..._ His men were holding out, slowly pushing the droids back into the base. A quick scan of the base revealed that most of the droids had come out to flood the troopers, and the base was now manned by two command droids and a squad of Roger Roger units.

Once the landing platform was cleared the fight would be easily won.

A blaster bolt scraped his chest plate, the captain wincing as it took a large chunk of plasteroid with it. It had narrowly missed melting through him, his side still burning from the graze. Ignoring the swelling pain he took another hypo out of his kama, injecting the medicine into the burned area. The shot stung before going numb, the clone now able to focus clearly on the task at hand.

Another blast went off, blue-striped troopers flung away like they were weightless. Two more tic marks added to his screen, the third following shortly after Kix arrived to address the man's injuries.

 _"We're gonna need that air support from the general soon. These droids are putting up a hell of a fight."_ Coric shouted over the comm, the medic's voice clearly agitated. One look told Rex all he needed to know; the man Coric had just patched together had bled out.

 _We're not machines._

A commando droid sprung past it's slower counterparts, leaping over the ammunition crate and grabbing Rex by his pauldron. Flinging him against the drop-ship it advanced, not bothering to give Rex a chance to get up. The rough landing jarred his already injured shoulder, the captain forced to settle for only using on hand to shoot. Raising one DC-17 Rex fired; the droid slowing at he melted it's circuits together.

His entire chest was on fire, and warmth spread down Rex's chest like bacta. Looking down the captain heard a disembodied gasp as he viewed the mess that was him. His breastplate had cracked into his sternum and collarbone, white bone sticking out of the wound. Crimson blood dribbled down the white plasteroid, time speeding up just as the pain hit him. Agony rippled through him and he cried in anguish, tears slipping down his face as the red-hot fire spread throughout him; nerve endings firing.

Gritting his teeth together he stood, holding one arm over his chest while he fired at the oncoming droids. There was just another twenty clankers, their fellow droids lying in smoking piles around them. Most were firing at random, screaming when General Kenobi cut them down.

Rex's arm was starting to slip from it's protective position on his chest, a crackling feeling making his bite his tongue to keep from crying out. _Okay, just let it hang there. All useless..._ He heaved in a shuddering breath, the lack of moisture in his breath a relief. _No punctured lungs... definitely some broken ribs._ He grimaced, his bucket hiding his pained expression. Just a couple more droids.

The squad Rex's HUD had detected flooded out of the entrance to the base, blaster-fire filling the air with renewed vigor. His grip on his DC-17 was unsteady, and one shot just grazed a droid's leg, the owner turning it's fire on him.

A blaster bolt melted through his armor like it was nothing, hitting the injured shoulder and coming out the back. "Gahhhhhh!" Falling to his knees Rex dropped his weapon, screaming as he knelt.

 _"Captain's down!"_ Coric was at his side in an instant, cursing in mando'a as he unbuckled Rex's chest plate in record time. No longer held together the piece of armor split into two halves, the back part sticking to his skin before coming off with a tear. "K'uur." _Be quiet_ The medic snarled before softening. "That blaster bolt melted it to your skin... Let's just say some Rex came off with that piece of armor." The shoulder piece followed, resembling a mottled fruit.

Rex barely registered when Cody knelt next to him, worry scrunching up his face. "Hey, Rex. We got 'em all." He removed the captain's bucket, the clone commander eyeing his friends pale pallor worriedly.

"Mar'e!" _At last!_ Rex spluttered, smiling weakly. "At least we got to get those shabla tinnies. That sneak attack in the gorge-" He yelled when Coric snapped his collarbone into place, his vision going white before he felt a smack on his face.

"Tell me 'bout that gorge." Cody still had one hand holding his head off the ground, his other hand clenching and unclenching.

Groaning he looked away, "It was exhausting."

Coric pinched his right hand, earning him a glare. "Gotta make sure you can still **feel** it, mir'osik." Rex huffed, rolling his eyes. If he didn't know Coric better he'd be offended at the foul name his friend had used on him, but at the moment he was just glad that his two friends had survived.

"Headcount?"

Cody rolled his eyes, "Always focusing on the battle... Let's just say we won. You don't need to worry about that."

Frowning Rex looked between his two vode, trying to gauge how injured he was. Their behavior insinuated that he was in bad shape. Coric had said that he had to make sure he could still feel his arm, suggesting substantial nerve damage. He didn't feel too good. "Ner vod, take care of my men." He directed the comment to both of his brothers, earning a shocked glare from both.

"Gedet'ye, you aren't going anywhere. Besides... I wasn't cut out for the Five-Oh-First." Cody said breathlessly, his gaze locked on Rex's eyes and refusing to look elsewhere. _Frak, it's really bad then._

He whimpered when Coric placed a bacta patch over his collarbone, groaning when he realized that the sound was audible. "K'atini!" _Suck it up!_ Coric said, rolling his eyes. A forced smile was on his face, occasionally transforming into a grimace when the bacta patch refused to stick onto his weeping shoulder and chest.

Kix sat next to him, his helmet already off. He frowned at Coric, the two sharing a look before making room for each other over the injured captain. "You're looking a lot better than some of the men I've seen today, captain." the other medic said lightly, mopping up the blood with an already stained rag. The pressure was insufferable, and Rex barely noticed the blood leaking out his mouth from his busted up tongue. "Open up." The clone obeyed the field medic, nodding in appreciation when a stick was placed between his teeth. It splintered under his bite, but didn't crack.

"Captain Rex." The clone didn't have to open his eyes to recognize the calm voice of General Kenobi. The Jedi knelt beside him, a hand placed on his uninjured shoulder. The pain lessened, Rex sighing in relief as he was shielded from the pain. "That is all I can do for now... We need to get him and the other men on the drop ships."

Rex faded out as the medics talked with the General over him, his battered body begging him to sleep. He grimaced when he was lifted up, his shoulder jostled by the movement. "He's unstabalizing... Get him to that ship ASAP." The clone couldn't tell if it was Coric or Kix speaking, his ears ringing and muting out everything else.

He was laid on a cold durasteel floor, the ground rumbling and shaking before his stomach churned at the familiar feeling of flying. The flight was surprisingly quiet before the sound of a space battle filled the ship. "We've exited the atmosphere... Heading for the Resolute..." _The Resolute? No... I don't want General Skywalker to see me like this. I still need to ask him to speak to the men..._

The drop ship lurched to the side, the captain sighing as he was grabbed by strong hands. They didn't explode so Rex assumed that the ship was just knocked off course by a stray blast, his mind wearily trying to stay aware of the situation. "C... Cor..ic?" He asked softly, reaching up to grab the other clone's arm. He opened his eyes, frowning when he realized that it was a medic for the 212th, and neither Coric nor Kix.

The ship landed smoothly, white light flooding into the stomach of the ship and the slide doors opened. He was loaded up on to an anti-grav bed, the med from the 212th handing him off to the Resolute's medic. The red garbed men whisked him away, chattering as they went. The sound of blaster fire was muted now that they were inside the ship, but Rex couldn't help but grimace when sirens sounded through the ship. The hull shuddered as another volley of missiles battered the exhausted shields. Rex's head lolled to the side as the starship jolted, and struggled to keep his eyes open against the suffocating pain in his chest.

Warmth was still gushing over his arm and neck, the smell of blood filling his flared nostrils. He had to breath; memories of breathing exercises took over, the old information giving him something to focus on other than the smell and feel of his own blood.

"Just hold on sir, we'll get you patched right up." The tightness in the medic's voice was a clear indicator that Rex might not be able to hold on long enough.

 _Why should I hold on?_ The warm blood moving over him was surprisingly soothing, and past the pain was a numbing peace. He could feel it washing over him. His eyes drifted shut, and his breathing slowed to a whisper.

His lungs cried for air, the burning feeling not quite surpassing the agony in his chest. Was this how Fives had felt? Was this how it felt to die?

#

He barely registered the conversation of the two doctors over him as they decided what would become of him.

One's words were hushed and urgent, "He is not hopeless! If we put him into a bacta tank he may be able to recover."

"His collarbone is broken, the sternum cracked, and the right scapula is shattered, and due to his previous injury in this area the nerve damage is irreparable. We should put him into a coma and let him go peacefully. He'll never use that arm again." The other spoke with disinterest.

"He may be able to recover if we replace the..." His words faded out, his voice to soft to make out over the pounding of Rex's heart.

"There are other more important patients. Salvageable patients! We have no place for clones who can't shoot a blaster!" Their conversation faded out, their words no longer meaning anything to Rex.

The words _hopeless_ , _nerve damage_ , and _irreparable_ stuck in his mind. Nerve damage was one of the few things that bacta couldn't reverse. Was he the one with nerve damage, or was he overhearing a conversation about another patient?

He knew what happened to soldiers with nerve damage.

 _Am I irreparable?_ Ahsoka would have yelled at him for thinking like that. But the little togruta wasn't there with him, and she couldn't yell at him anymore. He couldn't even drag up the memory of what he'd last said to her. Hopefully it was something she could look at with a smile.

Cold appendages stripped him of his armor and bodysuit, placing a re-breather between his clenched teeth. His entire body was numb, his head pounding from the battle he was putting up against the drugs.

 _He can take more._ Was that his thought? Or the voice of the medical droid inserting a syringe into his neck. He couldn't feel the needle as it passed through his skin, or as it exited. But he could almost taste the extra sleeping agent in his system. Sleep pulled at him, dragging him down as he was placed into the cool embrace of the bacta.

Most of his dreams were of black water; washing against a barren shore. The sounds of blaster fire rang out through the night, staining the horizon orange, blue, and red. _Blood_. He was continually drawing that conclusion, realizing that the blood of his brothers was lapping at the beach rather than water as it appeared. The ones that occurred between this dream and the silent blackness were those of him and his men, marching to battle:

 _They were led by a robed figure, their footsteps keeping time with his own as they marched up the steps of the Jedi Temple. In unison they drew their blasters, heads facing straight ahead as they approached the mouth of the temple._

 _There were no words spoken among the men, no questions about the mission. Every man there knew their purpose. Rex knew what his mission was._

 _Eliminate the Jedi._

 _An elderly knight approached them, confusion clear on his face. As he opened his mouth to speak blaster fire filled the air. Smoke rose from what was left of the ancient force user, his body one of many to be trampled under the feet of hundreds of armored boots._

 _The 501st worked through the temple quickly, slaughtering all jedi; young and old. Rex was left in the corridor, pouring over the hallways to search for stowaways. Slight footsteps sounded behind him, and he turned, blaster aimed at the padawan in front of him._

 _Ahsoka paled, looking at the massacre around them. Her eyes were red, tears streaming down her face. He hesitated, arm falling to his side as he looked at her. "What happened to them?" She wailed, unaware that her fellow Jedi's demise was in front of her._

 _Rex raised his DC-17, "This is what happened."_

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 **AN: Tell me what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Thick liquid swirled around the clone, coating him in a cold embrace. Rex could feel himself moving past it, before chill air greeted his numb body. He was laid unceremoniously onto a cool table, the chattering of droids awakening him from his drug-induced stupor. Launching himself off the table as best he could, he attempted to defend himself from his attackers, his arms heavy and uncooperative. His brown eyes opened in an attempt to identify his foe, the stark white light blinding him.

He fell back against the metal table, the thin sheet of paper under him soaked through. "You shabuirs..." He hissed before fully relaxing. Once the droids deemed him harmless and inactive they went back to their poking and prodding, undeterred by his evident despise for them.

Rex groaned, his head spinning from his earlier movement. _Where the fek am I?_ He tried to open his heavy eyelids once more, sucking in a sharp breath when light flooded into them. Brown orbs stinging from lack of use he gave up, trying to identify through different means where he was.

The smell of disinfectant washed over him, the bright lights and the dizzy feeling starting to make sense. He was in a Medical facility, most likely being removed from a bacta tank. The drugs they used to keep him asleep during that time were the cause of his headache.

 _Now I need to know why I was in there..._

"You are far more active than you should be. Should we administer more medication?" The soft coo of the med droid was not soothing as it was meant to be, the noise instead irritating the soldier.

It probably wasn't asking for his opinion, rather that of it's counterpart, but he managed to force out a reply, "N...no."

Silence filled the room save for clicks and beeps of the equipment. "Very well." The droid responded at last, placing the hypospray in the care of a smaller droid.

 _Amazing_. Rex thought dryly, his thoughts turning towards whether he could ask for a drink. His mouth was cottony and dry, throat aching for water despite the moisture that still coated him.

Another chipper droid helped him off the table, thrusting him into a 'fresher. The droid was silent as it washed the bacta off of him, whistling as it neared finishing up. Scrubbing him as hard as it was it was a wonder Rex didn't decapitate the droid, but the quick circular motions did wonders to get his blood circulating.

Black sweats were handed to him after he was dried off, and then he was led to an examination table. "You will wait here for the doctor to arrive." Announced the droid, turning away and leaving Rex alone.

Not bothering to try and call the droid back for answers Rex turned his attention on his battered body. He had noticed that it took longer than usual for his body to wake up, but he blamed that due to how long he had been in the bacta tank. Now it was evident why the two doctors had struggled over what to do with him.

He had been shot in the chest by commando droids once before, earning him a large blast mark over the right side of his chest. Now that mark was overlapped by further scarring, the new tissue uneven and glassy. His collarbone had a thick vein of white tissue over it; running from his shoulder to the center of his chest where his armor had broken it and sliced into his skin. His right shoulder was marred with scars from the shrapnel, and he could see out of the corner of his eye that the skin over his shoulder blade was tight and pink. The scapula itself looked crumpled, like a piece of flimsi when it was sat on.

 _"He'll never use that arm again."_

Jaw clenched he looked down at his hand. He could _feel_ it. Willing it to move he refused to give up on his arm. He could wiggle his fingers, but couldn't clench his hand into a fist, and it hurt to raise his limb away from his side.

 _In your face you shabla doctor!_

"You seem to be making good use of your time." Spoke a cool calculating voice from behind him. Rex sighed, letting his arm fall to it's place at his side. He looked over at the doctor, noting that he didn't wear the standard red of the republic under his lab coat, but rather grey.

The doctor came to stand in front of him, milling over a datapad as he lazily probed at the scarring on Rex's chest and shoulder. "Contrary to popular belief the nerve damage to you arm was not as extensive as we feared..."

Rex felt his heart leap in triumph, and instinctively set his jaw and prepared for the bad news. It wouldn't be as simple as that. He couldn't frakkin make a fist.

"However, you will not be able to lift heavy weights with that arm considering the level of nerve damage it's suffered... it's doubtful you'd be able to lift a DC-17."

Reality crashed down on Rex. He couldn't go into battle if he couldn't shoot a blaster. _There was no place for a clone who couldn't shoot a blaster._ "Will I be decommissioned?" He asked softly, not recognizing his words as his own.

"As a matter of fact you won't. There have been many technological advancements opened to us with the rise of the Empire... We can now attempt to replace damaged nerves with prosthetic replacements..."

"The Empire?" Rex asked, confusion written on his face.

The doctor's mouth made an 'o', before he set down the data pad. "You have been in the bacta tank for three weeks now... You didn't even get to hear about the rise of the Empire. I'll pull it up for you..." The doctor tapped furiously on his datapad, swallowing nervously before handing Rex the device. The man had pulled up a news article; the heading itself enough to makes Rex's grip on the piece of technology tighten.

 **The Jedi Attempt to Assassinate the Chancellor!**

 **The Jedi Order launched an attack on the Chancellor and Senate this evening shortly after receiving the news of General Grievous's destruction. They attempted to murder him and other key members of the Old Republic before they were subdued... The Chancellor; deformed from the assassination attempt, has in response formed the first galactic Empire, assuring the Galaxy of his strengthened resolve to restore peace. The Emperor then launched an immediate attack on the Jedi Temple, eliminating the threat at it's roots.**

 **The legendary 501st battalion marched upon the temple only an hour after the attack, vanquishing their foes and freeing the Empire from the oppression of the jedi. Now all remaining force users are being searched out by the Chancellor's pupil, Lord Vader, and the Imperial army.**

 **With the rise of the Empire many systems have rejoined the Senate, and prosperity is spreading through the galaxy...**

The article continued on, but Rex had to look away. So many good jedi he had known all his days in the war were dead at the hands of his own battalion. He had saved them and been saved by them... And now they were gone. And they were viewed as villains?

Rex's breathing hitched as he though it over. _The jedi tried to kill the Chancellor and take over?_ None of what the report was claiming made sense to him.

There was a clip of the 501st marching on the temple, led by a figure in dark robes. He could see Appo in the lead, probably taking command in Rex's absence. Another clip showed the burning of the jedi temple.

It was hauntingly similar to his dreams.

"I know it's hard to take in at one time... I was surprised myself when I saw the news on the holonet. But as I was saying... These events have opened up a whole new field for us doctors and surgeons. Lord Vader himself has requested that you be brought before him and the Emperor to see if you would qualify for the surgery. Not many clones get this honor." The doctor sniffed, taking the datapad out of Rex's stiff fingers.

Swallowing, Rex turned to him. "How soon after I was placed in the bacta tank did this happen?"

"All these events took place three days ago... So you just barely managed to see this major breakthrough."

 _How nice. If I'd gotten out sooner I'd be dead already... sent back to Kamino to be recycled... Or I would have been the one leading the march against the temple. How many of my brothers died in this attack? How could they have turned against their jedi generals and friends?_

None of what the report claimed could be true. His men would never have willingly shot down innocent people, jedi or no jedi...

"Lord Vader will want you in full armor to see him and the Emperor. Your armor will be sent down here with an escort." The doctor's cheerful attitude was gone. Clearly Rex had missed something. Did the man feel that he deserved a thank you?

"Yes sir." He said automatically, not bothering to watch the man leave. His nightmares... the one's Fives had suffered from, the one's every clone suffered from... they had come true. Was Fives right? Was there a chip that made them kill all the jedi.

Rex had thought over what Fives had told him countless times, trying to ignore the fact that his thoughts were treasonous. This time shouldn't have been different. But it all made sense. The Chancellor had formed and Empire and made himself Emperor of the Galaxy, and the clone troops had been forced to kill all the jedi. His men hadn't walked up the stairs to the Jedi Temple with pride, they had moved slowly and mechanically, as though they were being driven by an unseen force.

Or an inhibitor chip.

A swish of air rushed over him as the door opened, armored boots clicking on the floor as several clones entered. "Get armored up." One said roughly over his external mic, putting a crate in front of Rex.

The former captain set about to getting on his armor, not letting the pain shows on his face as he forced his arm to move.

He had received several replacement parts, the paint jobs on all of them the same blue of the Five-Oh-First. His men from Torrent Company had probably supplied the extra pieces of armor.

His helmet smelled stale when he put it on, and he vented it out for a moment before switching on his HUD. The Empire had kept most of the old data, but he could identify several minor changes in the way the information rolled across the screen. It informed him far more efficiently of the situation, and the strategic viewpoint of the jedi's downfall made it seem all the more real.

The jedi were gone. Everything he'd promised Ahsoka he'd protect; all of it was burned by his own men.

The frequency opened, and Rex turned to face his mirror.

"Well trooper, let's move out." The clone didn't speak with confidence, and the way he held himself was like a spring about to uncoil. These men were highstrung and nervous.

Based on Rex's previous views on the Chancellor, the old man was frail and kind, and was determined to end the war as peaceably as possible. But these soldiers were behaving as though they were about to meet a sith itself.

General Skywalker had been friends with the Chancellor; had he tried to assassinate him as well? _We already came to the conclusion that the jedi didn't assassinate the 'emperor'. Apparently this person has far more power than he appeared to have when you were assigned to protect him... he managed to force millions of troopers to kill..._ The frail outward appearance had to have been a guise to hide his true intent. The man had climbed through the figurative political ladder to become the leader of the Republic, and then had obtained further power as he stayed in office. He was intelligent and ruthless.

All this thought of politics made Rex's head hurt, and his hands itched to hold his DC-17's. An ambush by tinnies had never sounded better; but apparently the Empire didn't trust him to have any weapons.

Yellow-Orange stripes identified the men escorting him as a part of the 212th, and Rex wondered with shock if Cody had betrayed General Kenobi. Cody had been one of Rex's closest friends and vode. He had helped him overcome the aching guilt he'd felt after Fives' death. Had he succumbed to the Emperor's evil plot?

If anyone could overcome this it was Cody.

They walked on in silence, their boots making sharp clicks against the hard floor. The path became familiar after a few turns, and Rex realized that they'd entered the Senate Building while he was lost in thought. The elevator started up smoothly, speeding past floors faster than Rex could register. His heart was pounding, and his left hand clenched and unclenched in anger. If he didn't get a handle on his emotions he would probably kill the Emperor with his bare hands.

That shabuir had forced his vode to do the unspeakable.

 _But what if the jedi were the one's using you?_

Was it possible? The memories he had of Ahsoka Tano flooded his mind; her smile, her spirit, how her tiny hands had grown and had started to fill out his own. But she wasn't a jedi. She had left the jedi order... maybe that was why she left. Maybe she saw corruption that no one else could have seen.

The lives of so many men had been lost under the lead of General Skywalker. The force user had been a competent leader, but was reckless with his men. Had he been one of many jedi to view them as tools to obtain power? Or did he just have a streak of ambition that clouded his judgment?

 _General Skywalker is most likely dead... And Ahsoka probably can't even remember your name._ One of those thoughts sent a shard of pain through him.

"We're here."

Rex stopped short, assessing his surroundings. They had stopped in front of solid durasteel doors, banners with the crest of the Empire on either side of the entry. The walls had been repainted gray, and the carpet was black instead of red. "Rather dull, don't you think?" Rex asked the trooper next to him, not even expecting an answer.

Dread had pooled in the pit of his stomach, replacing any confidence he had gathered by wearing his armor. The air around him became cold as the door opened. The room was dark; no light save that from Coruscant's traffic entering the dome shaped office.

 **"Enter."**

 _If that's not evil shoot me now._ Rex shook the thought from his head, shielding his mind from any unwelcome guests. So much time around jedi had trained him to erect mental shields, and regardless of the jedi's elimination he could sense evil lurking around him that he did not want to entertain.

Understanding the word as a strict order he entered, the troopers staying behind at the door. To them he must have appeared completely at ease, but behind his helmet he was chilled, and sweat beaded his forehead.

Even sparsely furnished, the chamber made one feel small and insignificant. Blood red drapes hung generously around the window, the traffic lights backlighting the impressive desk and swivel chair. Hardly able to pay attention to his surroundings brown eyes were drawn to the intimidating figure looming in the corner; a helmeted man in black. His breathing was an unsettling sound; rasping through the thick air. Red lights flashed off of a control panel that was over his chest. The creature was either a man or a machine designed to look like one.

The chair slowly turned to face him, a man in a dark hood lounging in it. A sinister smile rested on the Emperor from what Rex could see of his face, and a shiver of fear ripped through the former captain.

"Lord Vader and I are very pleased to hear that your arm has recovered enough for the surgery..." The emperor broke the silence, placing his hands together in front of him. "And yet I am still wondering if you are truly a worthy candidate for the nerve replacement..."

"He is worthy, my master."

The dark figure had spoken, turning to look at the Emperor. The masked man's voice was deep and filled with powerful conviction, the words 'my master' coming across as unnecessary to Rex. The two looked at each other before turning to look back at the clone.

The Emperor beckoned him closer, the sickly sweet smile still pasted on his deformed face. He tilted his head to address Vader, "If you believe he will be a loyal servant of the Empire."

Rex wanted to see Palpatine's eyes, to identify if the man in front of him was evil down to his soul. This was the Chancellor, but as the embodiment of evil incarnate.

"He will serve us."

The room was shrouded in heavy silence, the clone busily trying to draw up ideas over who the helmeted 'lord' could be while the two weren't focused on him. Vader was a sith of some sort, the lightsaber hilt glinting off his belt Rex's only clue as to what kind of evil the man was. He had addressed the Emperor as 'master', so Palpatine must have been teaching the machine-man to lead in his footsteps.

"... Very well." Rex's head moved a fraction, his eyes snapping back to look at the Emperor. He had missed the conversation... That or they hadn't been speaking, rather just watching him as they mulled over what his fate would be.

The door opened as Rex was dismissed, the trooper achingly aware that he was followed out by the creature in black.

"You were not present for the march on the temple... You will make up for your loss by assisting me as I search for the surviving Jedi. Commander Appo has proved to be... _defective_."

So Vader was the cloaked man who had led the 501st against the Jedi. Was Appo decommissioned due to his refusal to serve afterward when the inhibitor chip was deactivated? Rex had liked Appo and enjoyed his company, regardless that the man often blindly followed orders without question. Appo was a competent leader and soldier.

"Any softness I have previously shown you is not to be expected. I do not have patience for clones who will not fulfill their duty." Vader turned on him, "We will search out not only the jedi... but also those who will become force users... and we will eliminate them."

Rex paused, Does that include people like Ahsoka? Innocents who had nothing to do with the jedi or their 'treachery'? Clone troopers were always supposed to put civilians lives before their own, and it was against any clone's nature to harm children or innocents. "If they aren't jedi they should not concern..."

"They could be taught in the ancient ways of the jedi, and become like unto them. If they can use the force they are a threat to the Empire you serve." Vader pointed a gloved finger at Rex threateningly, the temperature around them dropping a few more degrees.

Swallowing the lump in his throat Rex nodded hesitantly. "Yes sir." He said slowly, before adding. "Have I served under you before, sir?"

Vader paused, his hand clenching into a fist. "You knew me as General Skywalker."

 **NO!**

* * *

 **A/N: Ahhh! The suspense! Thanks to those who followed and fovorited. Please review! I'd love to hear your feedback. Also, I could use some trooper names for later chapters.**

 **Review, follow, favorite!**


	3. Chapter 3

Rex's heart was pounding in his ears, his breathing faltering as his eyes ran over the armored man once more. The general had led an attack against his own order? He had betrayed his friends and allies to serve a sith?

"G...General Sky-"

"You will **never** address me as that! I am Darth Vader; the most powerful sith in all the galaxy. You will keep that in mind or I will personally see to it that you never live to see another sun rise!" With that the former jedi stormed down the hallway, leaving Rex by himself.

Heart still pounding the clone stumbled down the hallway, barely managing to slip into a storage room. His armor was too tight, and he fumbled with the clasps on his helmet. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he threw his bucket against the opposite wall as hard as he could before collapsing to his knees.

Dry sobs racked his body, and a lump grew in his throat. "I failed you, Ahsoka... Fek, I failed you..." Rex bit his lip until blood dribbled down his chin, his tears leaving wet streaks across his face. His chest burned, and he thumped it with one gloved fist. "I'll fix this... If it means I have to die I will fix this." Conviction filled his words, and Rex ran his hands through his hair as he knelt on the cold floor. Rubbing black gloved fingers over his scalp he thought of what lurked under the surface. If he was going to keep his promise he'd need to remove the chip.

The room he was in contained an assortment of supplies, including a new shipment of medical droids. Opening up the nearest container he rummaged through it, wiping the blood and tears away with the back of his hand. With a renewed sense of purpose he pulled one of the droids out, prying off the control panel on it's chest. It was the same class of droid as the ones used on Kamino, and was easy to activate.

It's eyes flashed on, arms springing out from it's sides as it looked around the room. Turning to Rex, it saluted him sharply, "Hello sir! I am Az-345211896246498721347, and my sole purpose is to care for your health!"

Flabbergasted Rex looked away, wiping his face once more. Who was the idiot that named these droids anyways? "Listen, I'm just gonna call you Az-3, got it?"

The droid cocked it's head, "Of course... but you are a clone? Are clones allowed to own droids now that the war is over?" Az-3 asked, clasping his hands together in front of him. He appeared genuinely interested.

"No. As a matter of fact, I stole you. You will still obey every order I give you exactly as I give them..." Rex paused, scratching the back of his head. "Now first thing's first, I need you to locate where my rooms are now that I work under Lord Vader." Rex refused to even think of the machine-like creature as General Skywalker. That _thing_ was right about one thing; it wasn't Skywalker any more.

Az-3 appeared to be in thought, looking him up and down. "According to my programming, Lord Vader has more authority than the doctor I was supposed to serve, if you are his captain than it would not break regulation for me to provide these files." His eyes sparked up brighter, and he set about to retrieving the information from the senate building's archive.

"Hey, Az-3... What do these shipping crates contain other than your kind?" Rex retrieved his bucket, dusting it off before replacing it on his head. He adjusted his HUD settings to recognize the droids identification stamp, assessing the storage room he had retreated into.

"These crates contain 2-1B surgical droids as well as ammunition and non perishable food. It appears that the clones responsible for unloading these supplies did not bother to be organizational."

 _What does that mean? Is it just the musings of a droid, or is he noticing something I should?_ Shaking those thoughts from his head Rex leaned against the door. His arm was hurting, and pain rippled across his chest.

"I am picking up elevated heart rate and pain levels coming from you." Az-3 was floating in front of him, his many appendages aimed as though to assist Rex.

"I don't suppose you have a pain hypo?" Rex gasped, noticing that he was out of breath.

Shaking his head the droid looked around the room. "If you give me a secure frequency to your helmet I can transmit the data without alerting the Empire."

Rex nodded in approval, giving Az-3 the frequency channel. This droid was starting to get the hint of what Rex was doing. That or it was really good at playing a loyal pawn. "Okay... Now you just need to act like a normal medical droid, reporting back to the med bay." The blank look in Az-3's eyes was to be expected, but Rex nonetheless simplified his order. "Just follow me from a distance."

Straightening up Rex opened the storage room door, looking either way before entering the empty hallway. A clone squad moved passed him; a slight tilt of their heads Rex's only indication that they had seen him. Apparently he was already viewed as Vader's puppet. _And I might just be that shabuir's demise_.

His new quarters were located at a high rise apartment building that typically housed wealthy senators and businessmen. The spacious living space was equipped with enough medical equipment to treat ten men, and there was a kitchen and rec room. Rex whistled in the privacy of his bucket, wondering just what had gotten him the special treatment. _Vader has to have a better use for you than just hunting down jedi... surely that wouldn't require you to live in such... luxury?_

Whatever the sith's plan was, Rex didn't necessarily want to wait to find out. He joined with another squad of troops as they took a transport, informing the pilot of his destination. As he turned away he stumbled over a blaster that had been carelessly leaned against the wall. A yellow marked trooper caught him, straightening him out. The clone's eyes lit in recognition before he looked away. If Rex had seen correctly it was shame that burned behind the man's brown eyes.

"Hey, ner vod... thanks." Rex put his hand on the brother's shoulder, his chest aching for simple companionship with his brother's again.

The clone glared at Rex's hand before his head snapped to facing forward, "S'nothing, Captain." His voice was clipped and had an edge of hostility to it. His face was scarred by what appeared to be a detonation blast, and it made his scowl look even more intimidating.

"Did I do something to offend you?" Rex asked, his voice taking on a growl.

"No. As a matter of fact you did nothing... It must feel nice knowing that you didn't _have_ to follow through with Order 66. You were completely ignorant of everything-"

 _The contingency order? Palps used that to turn the troops against their Generals?_

The soldiers around them stared straight ahead, but their grips on their blasters tightened, and Rex didn't doubt that this trooper was breaking protocol even mentioning the Order.

Rex's grip on the man's shoulder tightened, his eyes narrowing through his t-visor. "Bucket on trooper." He immediately switched over the the secure comm channel he still possessed, opening it up for him and the other clone to talk. "What do you mean, you _had_ to?"

Yellow stripes paused, then shook his head sighing. All of the hostility he had shown Rex was gone, replaced by helplessness. "It was like we had no control. The Chancellor transmitted to all the troops about the contingency Order 66... we _shot_ down _every_ jedi without even batting an eye. Training took over. After it was over and we were recalled back to the starship it was like we were released from a sort of... _mind control_. Most of us are trying to believe that what we did was right. That is was of our own free will... I mean, we followed orders! That's what we're supposed to do..." The trooper paused before turning to face Rex. " _Good soldiers follow orders._ "

Rex shivered at the man's last words, remembering with stark clarity who he knew that had last said that. _Tup._ "What's your name vod?"

"Name's Det. Don't matter now anyways though, we all have to use our CT numbers... Your's is Rex of the Five-Oh-First. I was with the 327th Star Corps." He clasped Rex's arm in true Mando fashion, his voice softening.

"What do you think about Order 66?" Rex asked, trying to sound uninterested.

Det tensed, releasing Rex's arm. "That order was a what-if plan. Nothing ever made me think for a moment that I may actually have to kill my general because she was involved in a plot against the Republic... I think all of us were forced to do something wrong... something up here _made_ us kill the jedi." his finger remained on the skull of the bucket for a moment before his hand fell. "If you want you can report me... It would be better to die quickly than to serve these shabuirs."

"Det... _vod_." Grabbing the troopers shoulder once more Rex pulled him closer as though for support. "I wouldn't report one of Bly's men... Can you meet me at Room 73 floor 16 in the Coruscantian High-rise I'm about to be dropped off at... You'll have to sneak in, but I may be able to help you."

A gasp sounded over the comm channel, but then Det relaxed under Rex's touch. "I'll try to be there... Can't guarantee I'll be able to catch you before I'm reassigned though."

"Just try vod."

They then separated, Rex handing the blaster that had tripped him over to Det; who was the owner of the weapon. His fingers itched to keep the blaster, but Rex reassured himself that he'd be recompensed for his sacrifice. _I'll make things right, Ahsoka. Starting with Det._

#

The apartment was even bigger than the floor plan had suggested, and Rex felt as though he were on a whole new type of battlefield. There was a crate of weapons, and the captain set about to re-supplying his empty holsters. His old DC-17's had not been provided, and he had a shiny new set in place of them. Hissing in irritation he aimed them at the fluffy sofa across from the kitchen, testing the weight. His right hand wobbled then fell to his side, refusing to hold up the blaster.

"I have received information that should make your stealing of me easier to hide!"

Rex rounded on the intruder before leaning against the marble topped bar. It was Az-3, bobbing up and down in excitement. "Spit it out." He sighed, holstering his new DC-17's as best he could before rubbing his temples. It would be long night of rebuilding and adjusting.

"I was originally sent here to be assigned to you. I will be caring for you as you recover from the nerve replacement surgery. That should make things much easier for you." Az-3 sped around the corner, a gasp sounding through the apartment as he no doubt admired the medical facility that was attached to the sleeping quarters. "It is glorious!"

Grinning at the droid's behavior the trooper tuned him out, moving around to inspect what edible goods he'd been provided. He wasn't being fed through a tube, so he was once again suffering from the typical clone appetite and thirst. In fact, he'd never gotten that water he'd wanted earlier. _Maybe that's why you have a headache, di'kut._

Everything from yogun fruit to frozen bantha steaks was stuffed into the fridge, a sharp breath whistling past Rex's teeth as he admired the horde. Snatching food like a mad man he spread it out on the counter, looking over the items as he submitted his taste buds to news flavors. Ahsoka had always tried to bring the troops new foods, succeeding in intriguing all the men in the wide variety of meals available to average people. It hadn't lasted long though, General Skywalker and Kenobi had been quick to rebuke her for distracting the men.

Rex sighed, smelling an unlabeled bottle before taking a sip. It was dull in taste but creamy. Smacking his lips in thought Rex took another sip, looking over the bottle. Maybe Az-3 could identify the substance. It was growing on the captain.

When the droid did enter the kitchen he was greeted by the sight of a juice covered clone, a knife in hand and brows furrowed in thought as he tasted another fruit.

"I am glad to see that your appetite is strong." Az-3 chirped, bobbing around the clone. "The fruit you are eating is called a Meylou-Run." When Rex pointed to the white drink Az nodded, "That is milk."

Nodding in wonder Rex took another bite of the fruit. His mouth was exploding with the new flavors, and it was close to overwhelming him. He'd been raised on freeze-dried food, ration bars, and cubes. What the Five-Oh-First would have payed to try these things...

As soon as Det arrived Rex would let him try it all. He capped the milk, putting it back in the storage container along with the rest of the food. He left the half-eaten fruit on the counter, not willing to just throw it into the waste-bin. It was more than edible, and didn't need to just be thrown away.

"Is there caf in here?" Rex growled under his breath, hankering for the rich liquid that would undoubtedly relieve him of his exhaustion. A tin with the grounds was in the cabinet over the stove, and Rex set about to activating the brewer. It was a newer and more expensive version of the machine on the star cruiser, but Rex managed to get it to work. As the liquid brewed Rex allowed himself a minute of rest, the strong scent of Caf reminding him of everything he missed so dearly. Brown orbs went to the caf tin, widening when he realized that it's origin was Shili. _Fek! They have to give you Frakkin Togrutan blend caf?!_

He left the kitchen as fast as he could, pushing Az-3 out of his way as he made his way to the open patio. _Deep breaths... in... out..._ Why was he constantly reminded of her absence? _Maybe because you'll be going to hunt her down as soon as your arm is functioning._

"Not if I can help it." Rex looked out at the crowded airways of Coruscant, smiling as he recalled how disgusted Ahsoka had been by the traffic.

 _"And they have the nerve to call this place beautiful! You can't see a single star out here... Coruscant might as well be a star. One big polluted star." Her hands were on her hips, mouth turned down as she gestured at the traffic._

 _Rex chuckled, crossing his arms._

 _"Are you laughing at me, captain?" Her voice had taken a tone of mock-offense. She made to punch him, laughing when he flinched away. "Wait till I tell Jesse and the boys." She smiled at him, eyes soft. If she had asked him then he'd have probably given her a droid base single-handedly._

"I'll give you more than a droid base... I'll give you a chance to get away from the evil that's coming for you." Rex promised, going back to the kitchen to face his flabbergasted med droid.

#

Det ignored the waves of greeting he received as he entered Seventy-Nines, crossing the clone bar to join one of his vode in particular. "Hey, Bruiser!" He called, grabbing a glass of the strongest whiskey before joining the other clone.

Bruiser was a commando, his bulky armor adding to the 'bruising' look. "Det!" He clapped the yellow striped brother on the back before taking a swig of his drink. "I assume you're here to talk about ditchin' the Empire again... Listen, I told you that idea was bad-"

"Captain Rex of the 501st asked me to meet with him. From the way he was talking I think he's gonna leave too... We could both go see him!" Det was whispering frantically, eyes wide as he spoke with his friend. Bruiser was the last of his squad, and had adopted Det after Order 66 had destroyed everything. "You and I both know that the Empire is screwed up and run by shabla politicians... If we leave-"

Sighing the commando looked away, "Listen, Det... The Empire isn't the Republic but we still serve it. Captain Rex serves it too, and from what I heard he's Vader's right-hand-man now. So if I were you I'd stay away from him." He took another swig of the alcohol, not meeting Det's gaze.

"I can't leave without you." Det said fiercely, pounding his fist on the table they were sitting at. Over the din of the bar no one noticed their treasonous whispers. "I've left enough brothers behind."

"We've all left vode behind. You just need to make sure you don't push the one's you have left away." Bruiser's voice softened. "If you're sure this is what you want to do I won't stop you. I've told you that already." Activating the sabaac table Bruiser gestured at the game. "Loser buys the winner drinks."

Det chuckled, temporarily allowing himself to forget about the Empire and enjoy himself. "I'll take that deal."


	4. Chapter 4

Rex reloaded the charges on one DC-17, wondering which lucky bastard in the army had received his old DC's. He had spent all of his time in the war customizing them. He and those blasters had faced Ventress, General Grievous, the horrors of Umbara _... Everything_ together. Over time his fiddling had paid off. The accuracy on the weapons should have been considered unfair.

After he had calmed an overly concerned Az-3 down he had filled the largest cup he could find with the togrutan caf, and settled down to refurbish the blasters he'd been given. The sofa he was lounging on was extremely comfortable, and Rex had caught himself dozing off more than once. Cursing under his breath Rex once again took several quick breaths to wake himself up, wod, wondering if he could petition Az-3 to pinch him if he dozed off.

 _"You don't need to be pinched Rexter. You probably need the rest."_

Rex jumped, looking around him. Cursing again he cradled his head in his hands, wondering if it was reasonable for him to be angry at the togruta. _I'm not gonna think about her anymore_. He stood up, deciding that he could use a work out. The rec room was not half as grand as the kitchen or medical facility, but it would suit his purposes. Setting about to loading up the weights Rex thought about his injured arm. He already had the bench prepped for what he could usually lift, but with the condition his arm was in he'd probably have to take it slow.

Settling for just working out his legs and core he ignored the bothersome med droid that had bobbed into the room to watch him. Az-3 watched him, head tilted to one side before finally speaking. "Are you planning on betraying the Empire?"

Sitting up Rex looked the droid up and down, rubbing the lower half of his face. "Why do you ask Az?" He stretched out his legs, noticing with irritation that he'd already lost weight and muscle from being in the bacta tank. He'd have a lot of work to do if he wanted to build himself up again.

"Because you have stolen me, and the conversation you had with that clone trooper was very treasonous." Az-3 spoke matter of factly, not seeming at all abashed by his words.

Looking at the small cameras in the corner of the room he noticed that they were deactivated. Pointing at them Rex raised one brow at the droid. "Did you deactivate the survelliance system?"

Az-3 floated closer, nodding. "I figured that if you are indeed betraying the Empire than I would be scrapped for participating in your treason. I do not want to be scrapped." He added the last part and tapped his arms together nervously.

Rex whistled, nodding in approval. "Well, since you're already proving useful I'll let you in on the plan. I stole you so that you could remove an inhibitor chip installed in my head... And possibly remove it from other clone's brains as well before we leave the Empire." The plan had sounded better when not spoken aloud.

Nodding the droid drifted towards Rex, it's eyes lighting up and scanning the captain's skull. "I do not detect a chip."

"It's organic... You'd need a really powerful scan to detect it." Rex tried recalling what information he knew about the chip, growling when he realized how uptight the Kaminoans and the Chancellor had been about the situation. They'd been very insistent that it was harmless... _Like hell it was harmless._ "If it stays in there the Empire can use it against me... and you." Rex added the last part, hoping the droid would still care about it's own life more than following protocol.

Speeding off towards the med bay Az-3 called for the clone to follow. Rex complied, giving the rec room one last longing look before following the droid. "A sub-atomic scan may prove beneficial if this chip is what you say it is." A table was being prepped by the med droid, a scanner warming up beside it.

Laying down on the table Rex calmed himself down, giving the deactivated cameras one last look before closing his eyes. He'd been in many medical facilities during the war, but never to do a scan that could be considered illegal. Palpatine and Nala Se had informed the jedi that the removal of the chip had driven Fives crazy... But regardless that Fives' behavior had seemed irrational everything he had said was true.

Palps was a stuck-up shabuir, and the Kaminoans were somehow in on the scheme. _Maybe you could take a trip to Kamino... those long necks would make for excellent target practice..._ Rex's daydreams were interrupted by a warm light moving over him, starting at his head. Az-3 was humming, and the captain could hear the droid moving around him as the scan progressed.

"You were correct. There is what appears to be a tumor located... here." A cold digit was pressed to Rex's scalp and he cursed, pushing the droid away. "Humans are so confusing. I was just trying to correct you on your estimate."

Rolling his eyes Rex nimbly leapt of the table, his bare feet hitting the tile. Like every other medical facility it was climate controlled; and was trying to compete with Hoth. He shivered involuntarily, sitting back on the table. "Can you remove it?"

Az-3 whirred around him again, studying the data on the screen of the scanner whilst his appendages tapped together thoughtfully. "Removing the chip is not advised. I do not have the supplies to perform this procedure." With that being said the med droid sped out of the medical room, no doubt knowing that Rex would attempt to disable him.

"We have a kriffing medical facility!" Ignoring the cold floor the clone captain jumped to his feet, dashing into the considerably warmer living area. Cocking his head to the side he heard the unmistakable sound of Az's anti-grav motor whirring, and followed the noise into the kitchen.

The droid was huddled in the pantry, the picture of calm as he tapped away at a datapad. "If I perform such a procedure on you the chances are 3452 to 1 that the Empire will notice. According to my knowledge of you; you do not want to be caught. I have drawn up an itinerary of the procedures that will be performed on you by myself and the 2-1B medical droid the Empire will assign to you. If we time the removal of the chip with these surgeries I could disable the monitors in the medical facility so that it would appear to be a power surge." Handing the datapad over to Rex the droid whirred to the captain's side, no doubt waiting for a response.

 _Kriff this droid learns fast._ "Uh... Okay then. When will my other surgeries begin?"

Tapping at the screen of the data pad Az pulled up a carefully timed list of all of Rex's meetings, surgeries, and physical therapy sessions he would be enduring for the next three and a half months. "When will you attempt the removal of the chip?"

"It would have to occur between your main surgery and your first physical therapy session. You will be assigned a human therapist who will no doubt question a sealant placed on your skull." Humming once more the droid plucked the datapad from Rex's hands, adding some more details before handing it back to Rex. "This datapad's contents have already been secured from Imperial eyes. You will not have to worry about me betraying you."

Nodding Rex looked away, leaning against the counter. He had two days until the first procedure, and then he'd have another twelve hours before entering the second one. The third and final surgery would take place 36 hours after that; taking into account the purpose of the surgery this one would be the most important considering that Az-3 and the 2-1B droid would be securing all the wirings to his neural pathway. If everything went according to Az's plan Rex would have the 'removal of the chip' surgery in between the second and third procedure. If the captain didn't know any better he'd have complimented the droid on his planning skills. Fek, he may just thank the tinny when it was over with. It would feel good to be a 'free' man again.

#

 _24 hours till the surgery and your just sitting on a couch repolishing your spotless armor?_ Rex sighed, knowing that he should be enjoying his last day without what Az-3 termed, 'mild but continual discomfort'. Kriff, he should be working out his neglected muscles. Truth be heard his muscles were all but neglected, and they were sore to prove it. After Az had set off to recharge Rex all but leaped to the rec room, eager to start rebuilding himself. Of course, knowing he had only one day to make a difference on his body was not very encouraging.

The captain's musings were cut short as something crashed in the outdoor lounge, immediately transforming the relaxed clone into a well oiled soldier. Trying to calm his beating heart Rex nosed his way around the corner, expecting blaster fire to ring through the flismy glass doors at any moment. When he finally rounded the corner he saw a familiar brother in yellow armor, trying to stuff a broken pot behind the wooden outdoor furniture. "Det!" He called, opening the slide doors without looking at the control pannel. A smile spread over his face, the clone obviously eager to commune with another vod.

The trooper turned, immediately taking off his helmet and saluting Rex. "Captain." He didn't even bother trying to hide the broken vessel, offering it one last glare before entering the apartment. "I tried coming earlier... But got held up." The scarred trooper eyed Rex before his gaze wandered around the apartment. "It's..." He gestured around, his brows furrowing.

"Not as great as you'd think. Trust me, the whole things rigged with cameras and audio recorders. My med droid has helped me figure out how to disable it fortunately..." _Frak! Did I just give the droid credit?_

"Your med droid?" Det asked dubiously, looking around the place once more.

Grimacing Rex rubbed the back of his neck, stretching out the sore muscles. "Anyways... I've been saving some stuff in the kitchen for you. Suppose we can't discuss what I wanted to talk to you about on an empty stomach." Crossing the living room with a purpose the captain pulled out the milk, some bantha steak, and another Meylou Run fruit. There was a preperation device in the corner that Rex quickly filled with the steak, activating the machine using what information he'd gotten from AZ-3 on 'how to cook bantha'.

#

Det hung back, watching Rex as he worked. The clone trooper felt awkward, and true to his Jango nature; impatient. "We can talk while you work." He said, coughing into his gloved hand nervously.

Arching an eyebrow at the scarred man Rex handed him a plasti-cup full of the milk, nodding for him to drink it. Holding back a sigh the clone took the cup, rolling his eyes when the captain turned his back. The brother's face lit up after he'd taken a sip, and he quickly drained the cup. "What the frak was that!?" He asked, somewhat out of breath. Det licked the leftover moisture from off his upper lip, savoring the taste of the blueish liquid.

Smiling Rex took a sip from his own cup, pouring out some more for Det. "It's called _blue milk_. It doesn't wake you up like caf but it grows on you all the same." He handed the yellow striped trooper the prickly fruit, going over to check on the steak. "I wanted to talk to you about the Empire, and removing what made our brothers kill the jedi."

"You know why we did it?" The brown-haired trooper almost didn't want to hear what the captain had to say, afraid of what revelations about himself the truth might bring.

"Az-3, please come in here." Rex called, leading Det to the couch. A med droid bobbed into the living area, sizing the new clone up before moving to float in front of Rex. "Show Det the information you've gathered on the inhibitor chip."

"An inhibitor chip?" Det gaped at the droid, looking between the two of them before rubbing his head with one hand. Most clone troopers had learned one way or another from the Five-Oh-First about the inhibitor chip that was placed in them to keep them from acting like their agressive base, Jango Fett. Everyone had been led to believe that clone trooper, Tup, had suffered from a breakdown of this chip, and the breakdown had drove him mad. Afterwards when ARC trooper Fives removed his chip the removal had damaged his brain, and he had been shot down.

The droid produced a holo-image, showing what Det assumed was Rex's brain. Zooming in on a particular section towards the front the tinny highlighted it with a circle of one metal digit, information rolling across the hologram. "As you can see the inhibitor chip is placed in the tissues of the frontal lobe, in an area that when damaged can cause behavioral changes. I have taken it upon myself to further study the chip, and have discovered that it is organic, being formed from cells obtained directly from Jango Fett's DNA. This chip contains a contingency order, Order 66, as you call it. From what I've gathered from the Imperial database this contingency order was designed in case the jedi ever turned on the Republic. The order was further enforced by this chip, which when activated by a vocal trigger shut down the clone's ability to think for himself or have feelings in general. The Emperor and Kaminoan scientist, Nala Se, convinced the jedi that the chip was a simple behavior inhibitor, and dismissed it."

Rolling his eyes at the droid Det leaned in closer to the hologram. "I could have read that. It's on the kriffin holo-image." His hands were clenching and unclenching in anger and frustration, and he self-conscously rubbing the front of his head. "Can you-"

"He is a liability. If you ask me to perform the rocedure on his it could endanger the entire mission." Az-3 had turned of the holo-projector, and if tinny's could glare the captain would be pile of ash under it's gaze.

Rex glared at the droid, his jaw clenching. "We'll have two months-"

"You will have a physical therapist here three times a day for three hours each. This is a procedure that will take scans and precision... Droids are capable of malfunctioning under stress."

"Are you threatening me?"

Det watched with amusment at the sight of the captain arguing with his med droid, and allowed a smile to spread across his face. It was good to watch a simple interaction between a tinny and a brother... If course, this interaction wasn't simple. They were discussing removing an organic chip that had forced him to shoot at General Secura. He hadn't seen the General's body after the commander had dragged her off, but he hoped that she was given a good resting place. She deserved that much... but at the time he'd just felt a cold disembodiment. The smile had fallen from his face, and his brows furrowed as his eyes watered. Quickly turning away he blinked furiously, growling at himself. He was a soldier, and now he knew for a fact that he had been forced to do what he'd done. He hadn't had a _choice._ well, now he did.

"...See. Will put the procedure in two parts. You'll scan him that morning and we'll remove the chip in the evening." Quickly catching on the the tail end of the pair's debate Det felt a flicker of hope. _Am I salvageable? Can I live as a free man and save my vode?_ That thought made the usually pessimistic clone want to grin like a fool.

Az-3 whirred up to Det, taking his head firmly between it many appendages. He growled, earning a teasing smile from Rex. The droids eyes scanned Det's skull, a grid forming up in clear blue lines over his skin. "This clone's skull structure has an one thirteenth of an inch difference from yours." Rex eyes him thoughtfully, both nodding slightly. For clones that was a rare and incredible physical difference. Det whistled, rubbing his head once more after Az had released him.

Looking at the clone captain next to him Det clenched his jaw, chewing on his cheek. "So what exactly is the plan here?"

#

The 2-1B droid had been delievered an hour prior to Rex's surgery, and the captain could feel his muscles clenching involuntarily as he was laid down face first on the cold medical table. Az-3 was the picture of excellence, playing the part of an emotionless and unthinking droid perfectly. The two droids spoke sparingly, but Rex had started to notice that the flashes on their chest pannels were more fast paced before they did anything. _Just like us clones with our comms..._

Packaging crackled off to his side as the new droid unwrapped the replacement scapula and nerve receptors, and Rex lifted himself off the bed, attempting to get a glimpse of what would soon be a part of him. Az-3 blocked his view, raising a hyposyringe for him to see before injecting it into his neck. _Stupid droid has to taunt me with the feking..._ His eyes drifted close, eyelids too heavy for him to hold up.

 _"Rex!"_

"Ahsoka..." Her voice was in his mind, calling out desperately as though she were in need of him. A warmth drifted over the clone, filling him up as though the former jedi were embracing him. He tried raising an arm to push Az-3 away, his eyes opening for a moment as he struggled to cling to her presence.

The two droids pushed his arms down, securing them with wrist straps. His legs were also restrained, a final clasp tightening over his waist. It didn't matter; the clone captain had already lost the fleeting connection with the togrutan, and his body succumbed to the drug.

Emptiness. That was all he could feel as he swam through the fog of unconsciousness.

Rex had discovered long ago that his mind remained active even after his body was numb to the outside world, and he'd spent many hours reliving his memories over and over again, breaking down missions to see what he had missed that had earned him a hypo. But this time was different, new memories were mingled with his own, fragments of another's life flashing before his eyes.

 _Ahsoka_. He could recognize the laughter in one foggy memory, clinging to it as though it were a lifeline before moving to the next. He was seeing the memories through her eyes, reliving small parts of her life.

Her presence in his mind was gone, but he could still _feel_ her imprinted upon him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you all for viewing this! I hope you like it and take the time to read these really long chapters.**

 _ **Note: I have revised this chapter many times since uploading it, correcting spelling and wording errors. I also added a part about Ahsoka keeping her sabers hidden, and corrected the time frame in which she has been gone.**_

* * *

Ahsoka Tano crossed her legs, placing her hands on her knees as she sat in the center of her small room on board the freighter ship, _Survivor_. The bounty hunters had taken her credits without question, agreeing to get her to Coruscant quickly and out of the way of Separatists.

Originally, Ahsoka had planned on going to Coruscant to work a small job... and possibly visit old friends, but now everything was different. She had felt the pain flowing through the force as clearly as if someone had shoved a knife between her rib cage and was forcing it open. She had _known_ the jedi's fate before the holonet had even broadcasted about the 'betrayal' of the jedi and the burning of the temple. Her blood had run cold as she watched the images play across the screen, her stomach churning as she watched her second home burn.

The bounty hunters had the holonet on at all times, eagerly drinking in whatever news there was, and musing about what it could mean for their occupation. They were completely unaware that a former jedi was on their ship, and that her troubled countenance was due to the emptiness she could feel around her and not the loss of a paycheck. The force was unbalanced. The sith had revealed himself in a most devastating way.

Tears moistened her eyes whenever she thought of what the clones had done to their jedi Generals... What the 501st had done to the jedi younglings and elders at the temple. She had known many of those soldiers since the beginning of the war, and it cut to know that they didn't even bother to question the orders they were given by Palpatine.

And now they were being dispatched across the galaxy to search out the remaining jedi spread abroad. And this time they would finish the job.

The Empire was relentless, and sith lord the jedi had been searching for led it as Emperor. _That slimo was using the jedi the whole time... Everything was a ploy._ Her jaw clenched at the thought of Palpatine, brows furrowing in anger. Sith excelled at deception, and Palpatine's frail and kind demeanor had fooled even the wisest of the jedi council, and had kept them oblivious of their impending doom.

After almost a year of being a bounty hunter and freedom fighter against the separatists, Ahsoka had seen and felt far more pain than she ever had as a padawan, but nothing compared to the agony she felt when accessing the force. It was hollow, and practically devoid of the familiar presence of jedi. Whenever she deemed it worth looking she would settle down once again to search for another force user through meditation. Occasionally she would sense small movements in the force, but they were fleeting, and she didn't recognize any of the signatures. They were jedi, who would forever have to duck their heads whenever soldiers passed lest they be destroyed like those before them. The one jedi she had managed to communicate with had broadcasted a clear warming to the togruta. _Hide your presence. The sith are watching._

The warning had given her small hope in the midst of darkness of depression, and she wondered if perhaps other's she had learned alongside and been taught by had survived, but were hiding themselves in the outer rim. _One could hope._ Hope was all the togruta had left, and she clung to it desperately as she searched the galaxy for people she had once known.

Ahsoka cleared her mind, taking deep breaths as she sank into the meditative position. The force was silent and unbalanced, and in it flowed anger and pain. Her breathing quickened when she felt a tremble in the force calling specifically for her, and she calmed herself as she sought out the disturbance. The aura she was viewing was in a medical facility, the light blue glow weak but familiar.

A gasp forced it's way past her lips, and Ahsoka eagerly staunched her excitement so that she could remain one with the force for a little longer. Reaching towards the force signature she felt strength and determination flowing from it, and the familiar musk of the clone captain filled the air around her. "Rex!" She called, clinging to him.

 _"Ahsoka..."_ His response was weak, and she could feel him fading.

"No! Stay with me!" Ahsoka's eyes snapped open, her breathing short and irregular. Her hands went to clutch at the ache in her chest, Rex's comforting presence receding. "Rex..." Tears streamed down her face as she thought of the clone captain. Someone was hurting him, and she could feel small pinpricks of pain still making their way through the weakening force connection.

She had lost her master and the jedi during the formation of the Empire, and now she was about the lose the only person she had left. _I have to save him._ She sat up, checking the time on her chrono before leaving her quarters. Before she entered the cockpit of the bounty hunter's ship she wiped off her face, assuming a stance of nonchalance as she entered. "How long until we reach Coruscant?" She asked calmly, one hand resting on the blaster she'd taken up while away from the jedi. Her lightsabers resided under her thick skirt, the togruta not daring to use them lest she blow her cover.

"We will be there _shortly._ In fact, We will be there three days sooner thanks to the end to this war." The Trandoshan licked it's lips, hissing as it looked her up and down. "Of course, you could always stay a little longer."

"Just get me to Coruscant and you'll get your payment." Ahsoka scowled, leaving the cockpit and returning to her room. The ship was piloted by the Trandoshan and a humanoid, a twi'lek and another humanoid making up the rest of the crew. The ship itself was a piece of work, and she had only just begun to get used to the smell.

 _Rex. Just hold on a little longer, and I'll be there for you._

#

Brown eyes stared up groggily into identical ones, blinking away the after affects of the drugs. "D...Det?" Rex's mouth was cottony and dry, and his eye-lids were heavy.

The scarred up trooper smiled at him, placing his hand on his left shoulder. "Managed to sneak in here before before the third surgery... I kinda wanted to be here for the removal of the chip." He sombered up, looking at Rex's other shoulder. "I can leave if you want me to."

Rex shook his head, immediately regretting the strain it put on his shoulder. He pushed himself off the bed, brows furrowing as he leaned over the bed. His stomach was churning, he face paling as he starting taking deep breaths. The yellow striped trooper leapt away, quickly procuring a waste bin just before Rex emptied his stomach. His throat stung, and Rex's eyes squeezed shut as another wave of pain struck him. Gagging, he released more into the bucket. Years of training had taught him **not** to smell through his nose, and he took the calming breaths through his mouth instead.

Cold appendages pushed him back onto the medical table, Az-3's form hovering over the clone captain. "You woke briefly during the break between the first and second procedure, and we had to sedate you again. I suggest that you remain on the medical table. The added drug dosage will make you... unsteady." The droid then quickly moved out of the trooper's reach.

"Hut'uun... won't dare to face the two of us." Rex chuckled weakly at Det's humor, glad that the stiff trooper was lightening up. Det still had a hand on his shoulder, occasionally squeezing it.

Groaning Rex looked at the brown-haired man questioningly, "Why the frak are you squeezing my arm?" Despite the fact that it was not the arm recovering from the surgery it was still sore, and a clone's grip was something to be reckoned with.

Det's eyes widened and his arm jerked away, a scowl replacing the worried look that had been on the clone's face. " _Your_ shabla tinny asked me to test the feeling... That and truth be heard, I'm worried that you aren't gonna be okay after this surgery."

"The shoulder surgery or the brain one?" Rex mumbled, grinning with his eyes closed. At Det's silence his eyes opened, brows furrowing. "I don't know how it will turn out, but I'll never know until I try. This is for all of our vode." Rex grasped Det's arm Mando'an style, both smiling grimly at the circumstances they were placed in.

"Stay alive... you di'kut." Det grinned, his scarred face looking much more appealing when he smiled. "Vode An, brother. I'll be singing it the whole time."

"You sing?" Det's smile fell, and his gave the captain a leveled glare. Rex chuckled, settling back down on the medical table. Az-3 came back into view, and he noticed the medical instruments on the durasteel table beside him. "Where's the 2-1B..."

"Az-3 deactivated it... Apparently the new med droid needed to take a break." Rex raised a brow at Det before looking back at the droid. _Maybe Skywalker wasn't joking when he said that droids can be loyal..._ He grimaced at the thought of the general, and his eyes closed again. _I could use a nice mission right about now._

Az-3 placed one appendage on Rex's shoulder,"I am going to give you another dosage of anesthesia. Once you are fully sedated I will begin the surgery." A needle pricked his skin, and the captain grimaced as the fluid shot into him. His grip on his brother's arm tightened before his entire frame slackened as he went unconscious.

#

"Give me the frakkin' thing." Rex glared at Az-3, holding out his uninjured arm. The chip's safety and design hadn't even concerned Rex when he had awoken from the brain surgery, rather the lack of frightening images his mind contained. Every clone Rex had ever been close enough to speak with on the matter had suffered from similar nightmares of mutiny; where they and their men would hunt down the jedi they knew and admired, killing them without question. Rex had been astonished at the peace he found without the chip, and he had sat for many hours in the medical facility trying to rationalize the situation.

The nightmares he had suffered from, the images he had once so vividly been able to see were now faded, as though true dreams and old memories. When he had finally been put under for the final surgery he had slept peacefully; no nightmares disturbing his dreams. Was this what Fives had meant when he said that the nightmares were over?

Det had left after the removal of the chip, the captain unable to ask the trooper about his nightmares or if he still suffered from them. Had they been seeing premonitions of what they'd been programmed to do? The thought was disturbing but Rex had to give the idea a second thought now that he was free of the polluted technology.

Eyes still heavy from the high dosages of anesthesia he'd been submitted to, the captain had trouble holding his ground against the pushy med droid. Sparks of agony shot through his left shoulder and arm whenever he moved it, the uncomfortable sensation of pins and needles added on top of that making the clone exhausted and irritable. Az-3 had assured him that as soon as his neural pathway adapted that the 'pins and needles' would subside, and that the new shoulder blade was responsible for the agony he felt at every movement. His arm and other bones had been forced to join up with the new part, and the removal of the shattered bone had been harder than anticipated.

The bone that had once been a part of him had been disposed of, but Az-3 had managed to get a diagram of the condition it was in. It had been cracked all the way through and the bacta had barely knitted the bone back together, fragments of the scapula that had broken off remaining lodged in his tissue. Rex had been astonished that he had even been able to move his arm when he saw the extent of the damage, his brows raising as he realized just how lucky he had been.

But regardless of the droid's previously helpful and caring behavior it was refusing to let him study the chip it had removed. He still had a sealant over his skull, and one at the base of his neck where they had wired his prosthetic. The 2-1B droid hadn't even questioned the open wound on the clone's skull according to Az-3's report of the surgery, and was laying in the corner of the medical facility; deactivated and battery-less. Rex knew how to deactivate his med droid, and found the idea very appealing as their argument progressed.

"You are in no condition to be viewing such delicate things." Az-3 said sharply, sounding very much like a scolding mother. A pack of ice was unceremoniously dumped into his lap, the droid whirring off the clean another suspiciously clean instrument. _If I didn't know better I'd say that droid was stalling... Oh wait, he probably is._ Rex huffed, raising a brow at the droid as he numbed his shoulder further.

Accepting defeat for the time being he changed the subject, putting the ice pack on the chair beside him. "So when does my first physical therapy session take place?" The clone asked, taking a small sip of the water Az had given him.

Whirring around him the droid pulled up a hologram. It was similar to Rex's previous itinerary, but now it showed appointments from several doctors, not to mention Det's surgery. "Dr. Starling will start therapy with you in three days. During that time I-" Rex's glare was acknowledged by a pause before Az resumed where he left off. " _We_ will study the control chip. Your fellow clone's surgery will take place after one week of your therapy."

"Why the wait?"

"I would like to shorten the amount of time I need to short-circuit the surveillance systems." Az's response was reasonable, and Rex tilted his head in acknowledgement. This droid sure was impressing the captain, and if he wasn't careful he may actually get attached to it. "If you need to relieve yourself I will be recharging in the corner."

 _Why the frak would I tell if I needed to use the 'fresher?_ Rex thought stubbornly, determined not to be a model patient for his renegade droid. Clones were notorious for not being good patients, and Rex wasn't about to let that title get tarnished.

#

Dr. Jenna Starling sat at her desk, reading through the latest news report lazily. The holonet had completely downplayed the destruction ensuing in the galaxy due to the formation of the Empire, choosing instead to focus on the celebrities and decadence.

 _"Awe Jill, would you look at that pass! This new bolo team is..."_

A scowl spread across her face, lines that had not always had a place on her becoming prominent. _I frown too much. That's what Kera would say..._ But Kera was dead, her caring sister dying with the Republic. Truly this was too much; the destruction of the jedi, the formation of the Empire, and the arrests taking place across the galaxy. Loyalists to the Republic fighting back were being hunted as insurgents, and the list outside the Coruscantian business-scraper waxed and waned, names familiar to her quickly being wiped away.

Most of the civilians and senators on Coruscant chose not to focus on the abrupt changes taking place galaxy-wide, rather enjoying the benefits they received by becoming loyal citizens of the Empire. It was easy to forget about the war they were recovering from, and so many planets were now being forced to grow rapidly as a heavy Imperial presence pushed upon them with unfulfilled promises of relief.

A tear slid down her tan face, dark lashes quickly resting on her cheeks as she shut off the hologram. Pale purple eyes opened fiercely, eyes roving the room once again for cameras that weren't there. Her paranoia wasn't unnecessary; she had lost enough to the Empire to know that regardless if she cared not about her own life there were people she still lived for; people that didn't have a voice of their own.

Quickly pulling out her private datapad she flipped to her most watched holo-message; the words contained in it from what was left of her family. The message was blurry, the recorded transmission garbled due to the great distances it had traveled.

Her uncle Otto was smiling, scratching Tracyn, their pet fengla, under it's chin. It purred into him before leaping onto Werda's shoulder. Her brother was smiling, trying to get Tracyn to stop jumping around. Kera laughed at their brother's attempts, the blue glow of the holgram not quite missing the light that pooled in her violet orbs. _"Akiva is our ven! Our future, Jenna. Come join us."_ They cried, trying to say the words in unison but failing.

Otto looked straight at the recorder, knowing that his eyes would bore into her when she watched the hologram. _"Akiva has recovered from the war beautifully, and I think that the warm weather would be good for you."_

 _"Everything here is amazing! The seppies left so much stuff behind."_ Werda said enthusiastically, nodding in agreement as he looked around for Tracyn. _"I've reprogrammed some of the droids they left behind for target practice... Some of them are gonna be made into protocol droids for Kera."_

Kera watched him in amusement, rolling her eyes before looking at the recorder. _"We set up camp in one of the nicer underground bases, right beside the factory. Werda and Otto are building an above-ground addition specifically for me and Tracyn. The birds here are beautiful, you'd love it here. It's not home without you."_

They all said goodbye, waving before the comm ended. Why hadn't she taken the chance to live with her family? The band had settled on Akiva because it was quiet and peaceful now that the Separatist presence had retreated, and the jungles would be good for the naturally heat-loving members of the family. She had spent days in the city library, looking up information on Akiva; pondering whether she really wanted to give up what she had on Coruscant.

More tears slid down the doctor's face as she remembered how her sister had frozen, her hands slowly falling to her sides as she crumpled to the ground. The holonet had captured her death perfectly; blonde hair askew as she collapsed, the smoke rising from the wound. Another shot had her crying out before a third silenced her. The clone she had died to rescue from decommissioning had escaped, leaving his rescuer where she lay.

Her work had meant so much to her back then, and now it was all she had left.

After Kera had been publicly declared an Insurgent by the Emperor the family had gone dark; leaving Jenna with no clue as to whether they were still on Akiva or if they had fled to another system in the outer rim.

Alone and aching from guilt she had struggled to remain standing tall as her every breath reminded her of the last shuddering one her sister had taken. Her occupation held little comfort for her, as it too reminded her of what her adi'ka had valued most. Jenna _helped_ and showed love to others; rehabilitating men and women that had received new limbs or were recovering from major physical injuries. She worked primarily with clones; continuing where her sister had left off as she helped these men who had no rights.

Most were quiet and sullen, their eyes hollow and guilt-filled. She knew what they had been forced to do; though she couldn't even begin to understand how they felt. She knew mourning, but did not know what it was like to kill someone she knew was innocent. _Why had they done it?_ From what she had gathered on her many studies of her clone patients they had a dangerously fluctuating amount of activity in their frontal lobe; as though something shut it off for a period of time and then the brain resumed it's normal processes.

Clone cadavers were always sent back to Kamino; and Jenna's search had stopped as soon as it started.

Often her therapy sessions would be interrupted by her patients having flashbacks to when they'd killed their jedi generals, her resolve strengthening as she saw their torment. Few would even speak to her, and it cut her to see these men... no, **children** , in such pain.

Every one reminded her of her brother, Werda. Every time they would look at her with those honey-brown eyes she could hear him asking her, _"Why didn't you save her? Why couldn't you save them_ _ **both**_ _?"_ Even if Jenna had stopped Kera from risking herself for the decommissioned clone her sister would never have been the same. The blonde was so determined to save all of the men who were _made_ to fight, that letting him die after giving him hope would have destroyed her.

"Why do they mean so much to us?" Jenna asked under her breath, pulling up her work itinerary. All of her patients were clones save an old woman suffering from arthritis. The female togruta wanted to be able to walk with her new set of leg braces; and Jenna was to help the lady do so.

Most of her work involved a replacement limb of some sort, her job requiring her to be a physical therapist, nerve regeneration scientist, and a certified Orthotist and Prosthetist.

Draining as it seemed the busy life kept her from focusing too much on the fresh pain she tormented by. She would work on helping these hurting men, and show them kindness when others would turn aside. It was least she could do to uphold her family's beliefs.

"R3, will you read out the new patients I've been assigned too, I need some caf." Jenna rubbed her eyes, pushing a strand of platinum blonde hair out of her face before addressing her perky droid once more. "I'd like all files on these men uploaded to my datapad... And would you start work on a letter to Mrs. Korchuna, I think within a week she'll be able to use those braces by herself." Her voice was rich and creamy, filling the empty apartment with melody.

The purple painted droid whizzed by her, showing her a hologram of the letter he'd begun. _"How about this?"_ Not many who were trained in the medical field bothered to learn an astromech's language of beeps, but the tin can had been a gift... and one that had often proved quite useful.

Jenna nodded, sipping her caf as she read the letter out loud. "Dear Mrs. Korchuna... you have come so far and I'm very glad to hear that you are now up and about with limited help... clearance in a week... It sounds good but I'll add a few embellishments." Nodding briskly she took another sip of the caf, frowning before she poured some blue milk into it.

 _"I thought it was a very nice letter... Alright, here's the newest patients that have been tossed off on you..."_ A glare from Jenna had him back up to the entrance of the small galley, _"CT-8976, also know as trooper Crash; injured during the battle on Cato Neimoidia. He was impaled in both legs and was a member of the 104th battalion. CT-5602; known as JumpStart, injured during a detonation blast on Felucia. The right side of his body suffered many fractures and breaks, he was in the 327th Star Corps. CT-7567; known as Rex; injured whilst taking a Separatist base on Ryloth. He was shot, impaled with shrapnel, and thrown by a commando droid; is now recovering from nerve replacement and scapula replacement..."_

Waiting for him to continue she raised one pale brow, growing impatient. "Go on..."

R3 looked at her, _"This clone has a lot of history. He was known as Captain Rex of the 501st, and commanded Torrent Company. He served under General Skywalker and was in a bacta tank during the formation of the Empire... That is saying the least."_

R3 barely caught her caf mug before it shattered on the floor, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. This was a major breakthrough. For one thing; this was _the Captain Rex_ , and secondly... He hadn't followed through with the execution of the jedi. "R3 when do I see him!?"

The purple astromech placed the cup on the counter, _"His therapy starts tomorrow."_ By now R3 was used to his master's mood swings and contrary ideas to the norm, and even encouraged her in her oddity.

"This is fantastic Arthree!" She said, hands running over her hair. "We can ask him what he knows... if he feels any different. What time is our appointment tomorrow?" She practically leapt over the droid, pulling out flimsi and datapads from her desk. When she turned she was faced with an astromech ready to pounce, all his appendages aimed at her. He was bleeping so wildly that it was hard for her to decipher what he was trying to communicate. "Slow down buddy... what is it?"

 _"This clone is Vader's new captain! You are being assigned to him because the Empire wants him to hunt down jedi and family!"_ R3 had known Otto, Werda, and Kera, and as illogical as it sounded he cared about what happened to his master. _"He can't be trusted!"_

She sighed, rubbing her temples. The both sat there silently, the droid slowly calming down and placing all of his appendages in their places. "You're right R3... You're right. I just... got ahead of myself." Standing up she gingerly plopped herself into her swivel chair, spinning it around to stare out at the high-rises of Coruscant. "We'll just see what tomorrow brings... Read out all the information on Jumpstart, Crash, and Rex. Those are all I'll be seeing, correct?"

Rolling closer to her the pilot watched the traffic lanes with her, _"I want you to be safe... And yes, those are all your patients. Shall I begin to debrief you?"_ After her curt nod he started off, eager to prepare her for her day.

#

The former captain of the 501st was lounging on the leather couch, reading another osik news article about the attack on the temple. He had watched the holo-vid of his men marching up the steps enough times that he could remember every man's position without pulling it up. He'd been pained to see so many familiar face, knowing that his men had been forced to raise their blasters against innocents.

His mind often wandered while he read, memories of Fives' desperate attempts to convince Rex and the General about his honesty replaying behind his eyes. Now that the captain knew for a fact that he was undamaged by having the chip removed he couldn't help but wonder if Palpatine or Nala Se had injured Fives. The sweat on the ARC's brow and unsteady way he held himself suggested that he was drugged, though it would appear that he was breaking down.

One hand ran through his bleached hair, the light fuzz quickly growing back after he'd been shaved for the surgery. It wouldn't be long before it would grow past regulation length... and then he'd have to start cutting it. He usually used his right hand, but with some help from Det or Az-3 he could probably manage a good cut.

 _"Why do you even bother keeping it reg length? You always were too preppy for your own good."_

A smile graced Rex's face as he thought of Cody, and he rubbed his scalp again. Maybe he could let it grow out... His days of being a perfect soldier and leader were over. In fact, taking into consideration all the things he had done in the past week he would have been decommissioned long ago for mutiny and betrayal. _So cutting it is not a priority._

The sound of a glass door sliding open roused Rex from his trance, the trooper craning his neck to catch sight of the yellow-striped trooper entering the apartment. Apparently Det had done away with his attempts at stealth; which usually ended in Rex hearing his approach.

"Det. You look well." Rex said casually as his vod sat next to him, one brow raising as he noticed the sheen of sweat on his brother's brow.

Det ran a hand through his hair, "I don't feel it. I got sprayed by an Unark... Kriff those things hurt." Only then did Rex notice that the clone's other arm was without it's gauntlet, and was heavily wrapped in bacta bandages. The acid-spitting worms that inhabited Coruscant were rarely seen due to the dense population of the city planet, and even less often did they spray.

"An unark?" The clone captain's voice was dubious, but when he pulled back the packaging he couldn't help but grimace; there were large blisters coating the forearm, the raw flesh still containing bits of black bodysuit. "Why the frak haven't you had this checked out by an actual medic?" He asked sternly, noticing Det's wince as he replaced the bandages.

Eyes rolling in dismissal of the situation the trooper stared at the caf table, clasping his hands in his lap despite the arm injury. "I don't need a medic... But I am aikiyc for a pain hypo." ( _desperate_ ) Clones rarely ever admitted that they were desperate for anything, and Rex ignored the captain part of him that said to let Det suffer for being such a di'kut.

A sigh escaped him as the captain stood, "You hungry? I'll have Az-3 clean you arm up and get you a hypo." At the mention of his name the med droid bobbed around the corner, saying a cheerful hello to Det as he injected the pain reliever into the injured clone, repeating the process with several other hypo-syringes. Quickly and efficiently Az-3 cleaned the wound; the troopers just watching in admiration as Az completed the process in record time.

 _Kix would've enjoyed racing this droid... However, I'm not sure how he would have taken losing._

The awe on Det's face was replaced by a look of pain when a needle was inserted directly into the burnt tissue, "Yowww! Kriff, I was just starting to feel better!" He glared daggers at the droid, rubbing his other hand gently over the bacta patches.

Az-3 just whirred away with his head held high, his job clearly done. Stopping by Rex, Az looked him up and down, not offering a word as he scanned the trooper. When he was done he went and settled next to Det, his 'anger' at the captain obviously not lessened.

Chuckling the captain pulled out some plasti-cups and fruit, setting about to making a light meal. "You get used to his ups and downs... Right now; he's mad that I'm up and about." He called, looking over his shoulder at his vod.

"You should be resting!" Az-3 cried shrilly, crossing his appendages over his chest. "The physical therapist would have told you if you were ready to become mobile."

"I could tell myself that I was ready." Rex rolled his eyes at his overprotective droid, wondering not for the last time if he'd ever get used to Az's 'up and downs'. After the droid had left to go back to the medical room Rex turned to Det, eyeing the trooper as they ate. _Might as well ask what you've been meaning to. No use in beating around the bush._ "You're taking huge risks by even coming here to see me... Why would you risk everything us clones live for because of a hunch I have?"

A cough racked the brunette, honey-brown eyes wide as he looked up at Rex. He placed the food back on the plate, a sigh escaping the soldier as he sat back. The two identical men sat in silence, Det's hand resting on his temples as he stared at the glass top of the table.

Despite his need for an answer Rex remained silent, waiting as patiently as possible for the trooper to open up. The scarred soldier had a tight lid, and it wouldn't help if Rex tried to force an answer out of him. The captain had just opened his mouth to say something when Det spoke.

"I... I want something more. I didn't use to! It's just..." Det looked at Rex, his eyes wide and brows furrowed. "What I did on Felucia to the General... It _broke_ me. I can't even look at my blaster without feeling sick. I want to be free of whatever it is that made me do what I did..." He rested his head in his hands, barely suppressing the shaking of his shoulders.

The captain's eyes widened as he realized that the brother beside him was crying, his jaw clenching as the hatred he held for the Empire gathered in his gut. As gently as he could he placed a hand on Det's shoulder, "What you did doesn't define who you are. You are not a tool of the Empire... And I'll make sure of that." Rex curled his fingers around Det's shoulder, offering the trooper a lopsided smile.

Slowly Det raised his arm for the vod to grasp, his eyes hard with determination.

Rex grasped the arm of his vod, smiling in earnest. "Hey, guess what I found?" At his brother's worried glance he chuckled, rolling his eyes as he released his comrade. "Well this pretty thing here," He activated the caf table in front of them, "Is a holochess table." The two sides of the chess game activated, and he swept an arm over the board. "Care to play?"

"What are we betting?" Det asked seriously, not amused by the dubious look Rex gave him. "The men in the 327th Star Corps **never** play an ordinary game of holochess **or** sabaac." He said gruffly, his armor clicking on the wooden floor as he sat next to the table.

Sitting across from him the clone captain sighed, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I could give you some of the tihaar I have-"

"Alcohol works great. Winner get's the drink." Stretching out his fingers the scarred trooper crossed his legs, waiting for Rex to make his move.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'll make it up for you guys later... but I hope you enjoy this short chapter. Lot's of filler stuff and laughs in here but in the end it all builds up the plot so pay attention. Please read and review and give me feedback on how I'm doing. Hearing your opinion would definitely encourage me.**

* * *

The two clones had just started their twentieth round of holchess; Det beating Rex nineteen to one.

The tihaar was designed to taste good going down but was especially potent to humanoids, even the advanced genetics of the clones unable to protect them from the intoxicating substance for long. The brunette had managed to stay comprehensible for the first twelve games, but afterwards had begun to break down into giggles every time he would defeat the captain.

Eyeing the brother across from him Rex made his move, watching in dismay as his gundarg was devoured by Det's rancor. The 327th Star Corps trooper was very skilled at holochess, and seemed to get better as he consumed more of the fruity alcohol Rex had supplied. The captain was still in wonder at how the hiccuping vod in front of him was still awake enough to use the table's controls.

A lazy smile drifted across the scarred soldier's face as he watched the rancor violently devour the captain's creature, raising his arm sluggishly and whooping in victory.

 _I'm beginning to question Bly's leadership..._ The dry thought flitted across Rex's mind and he raised a brow at Det's behavior. The trooper was now rubbing his temples and laughing breathlessly, signaling an end to their game. "Alright... We're done here." Grabbing the almost empty bottle of alcohol Rex made his way to the kitchen, groaning as his legs protested at the sudden movements. Det was technically still on duty unlike Rex, and if they continued on like they were the brother would be hungover like no clone was before.

Det grew silent, looking at Rex seriously. "Bly always said that... Five-oh-first... They're all sore losers." He grinned at the captain when he was done, apparently proud that he was still able to speak coherently even as he swirled the leftover intoxicant in his shot glass.

Glaring at the trooper he put away the acursed drink, "That won't work on me." As he washed his shot glass he couldn't help but grumble about Commander Bly's leadership. It was very unprofessional to drink whilst on duty, and even more so to down-talk other battalions... However, Bly was an excellent commanding officer regardless, encouraging his troops in the hardest of times. He was a good vod, Rex had to give him that.

Allowing himself a smile at the contrary situation he'd allowed them to get into he sat across from Det, reaching for the other man's shot glass. "You're gonna have to go soon. Can't have the surveillance systems off for too long."

Brows furrowing in thought the other clone handed over the glass, rubbing the bottom half of his face with a black gloved hand. "I can't go to the barracks this frakkin drunk... Maybe I'll just go to Seventy-Nines and drink some more..."

Reaching over the table Rex smacked him on the head, "Drinking more **isn't** going to sober you up." He then drank the leftover tihaar in Det's glass, grimacing as it slid down his throat. He didn't particularly enjoy the sweet drinks, preferring the darker brews when he did decide to be unprofessional.

The man barely reacted to the captain's abuse, mumbling under his breath about holochess games and gambling. "At least... It would look like I got drunk... there..." His head leaned forward, soft snores coming from the trooper after a brief moment of silence.

Rex could barely believe that the stuck-up soldier had allowed himself to doze off in front of someone, let alone a commanding officer. Then it struck him that considering all the soldier was going through it was a wonder he hadn't lost consciousness after his first shot. The Empire wasn't afraid of low troop morale, and Rex could tell from how Det held himself when he thought no one was looking that he was tired.

Det deserved a rest, and Rex wasn't about to deny him that. Since the captain had gotten the chip removed his sleep had been peaceful, but prior to that they had been plagued with further dreams; most involving Torrent Company hunting jedi. If the yellow-striped soldier had actually shot down his general there was a high chance that his dreams hit him harder than before.

Despite the brave face Det wore he was hurting, and the little glimpse into his life Rex had been allowed had proved how vulnerable the trooper was.

 _Shab... What's happening in the five-oh-first? How have they been handling this?_ From what Vader had told him Appo had been decommissioned after Order 66, leaving... _Who was in charge? Jesse?_ The newly promoted trooper was not ready for the burden of command, regardless of all he'd been through. In all of those situations he only had to worry about himself and the mission, as a leader all the men depended on your decisions. Jesse was in no way prepared for that. Resting his head in his hands Rex growled in frustration, cursing the Empire for taking everything away from him. His men, his friends, his _family_.

The ding and swoosh of the front door to the apartment barely registered in the captain's mind, and he gave Az-3 a confused look as the med droid sped past him. "Hide _him_!" the droid hissed, pointing at Det before whirring to the front door.

A female voice reached his highly sensitive ears, and Rex blanched as he realized his photo-graphic memory recalled the itinerary Az-3 had produced for him. Apparently the therapist's appointment had slipped his mind.

"Fierfek!" He cursed, scrambling to his feet and tripping over the unconscious trooper. "Det! Wake the frak up you di'kut!" He slapped Det's prone form, sighing in relief when brown eyes flashed open and a growl emanated from the clone. The captain grimaced when the still hazy vod grabbed his arm, eyes widening at the familiar _ka'thunk_ of a viroblade being ejected. "Stop!" He hissed, forcing his injured arm to grab Det's wrist.

Pausing the brunette squinted at Rex, before his eyes closed and he leaned his head back. "Fek Rex... I was going to kill you!" Smacking the brother on his pauldron Rex placed a finger to his lips, using hand signals to give the yellow-striped trooper a sitrep. Honey-brown eyes wide the 327th Star Corps soldier struggled to his feet, hunching over so that the chair beside the couch would offer some cover. Then; a determined look on the hardened man's face, he launched himself over the couch, the plasteroid armor doing an admiral job of cracking against the wood floors. "Fek..."

Rubbing his jaw Rex struggled not to lose his cool as Det's cursing subsided into giggles. He had never thought he'd regret witnessing a particularly stiff brother losen up, but he could tell that Az-3 wasn't going to be able to hold up the therapist for long. "You need to get out of here, **now**." He snarled, walking around the couch to catch sight of the scarred trooper's chest heaving and his face scrunched up with barely contained laughter. _Too bad I can't get Az to get a holovid of this..._ Ignoring his wistful thoughts he used his good arm to grab onto Det's pauldron, using his upper arm strength and core to heave the trooper up.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both clone troopers froze at the melodious voice that filled the quiet space, even Det managing to stand up straighter.

Turning his head Rex looked between the woman in the living area to his med droid, both facing the captain. "No, sir." Both clones echoed, separating and saluting her on instinct. Neither had any clue on how to address a doctor, their training not covering situations such as these.

Her bark of laughter wasn't unpleasant, but Det automatically grasped his skull as the sound caught the already hungover trooper by surprise. Before Rex could protest the platinum blonde doctor led the armored clone away, sitting him on the couch before murmuring something to Az-3.

"Yes Dr. Starling, both have ingested alcohol... As a matter of fact I do not believe I even bothered to deter them from this course of action." Az-3 got points for looking ashamed, and the med droid sullenly clicked his appendages together.

Light purple eyes met Rex's, "Are you sober?" A stray lock of hair feel across her face and she broke eye contact, the clone immediately sighing in relief.

Her gaze made him feel uncomfortable, violet eyes too focused and intense. Under the calm they communicated severe grief, the look of a suffering person all too familiar to the captain. He stored this information away for later processing, "Uh... Yes. I am sober, sir."

"Jenna will be fine." She said, taking a glass of water from Az-3 and tilting Det's head so he could drink without moving too much. "Is he... injured?" One bronzed hand pushed away the renegade lock of hair, the other rubbing circles over the scarred man's temples.

"No..." Deciding to leave out a title he continued to stand, hand clenching and unclenching as he watched another do _his_ work. The yellow-striped soldier may not have been Rex's man, but that didn't stop the captain from feeling responsible for him. _Why the frak is a therapist taking care of a clone that is_ _ **not**_ _her patient?_ Barely supressing a growl the clone raked a hand through his hair, nervously taking in any information provided to him visually. "He's... _perfectly_ functional." After the odd glance she gave him he decided that he would remain silent, settling for grinding his teeth together in irritation.

The doctor was a humanoid with tan skin, light purple eyes, and platinum colored hair. She wore simple grey and blue scrubs, her thin frame drowned in the heavy lab coat. However, she was not weak; he could easily see that what weight she did have was composed of muscle, and the woman proved her strength as she continued to support Det in his heavy phase 1 armor. A med-scanner was clipped to her hip, a stethoscope draped over her neck. A datapad had been deposited on the holochess table, further information on the woman withheld from him for the time being.

Everything about how she held herself communicated that she had seen suffering and knew it personally, and yet the way she helped his hungover vod depicted a female nurturing someone she cared about. _Odd._

"Sit, please." She gestured with her free hand at the chair Det had hidden behind earlier, and after a cursory glance around him at the still deactivated cameras he complied, grunting as he jostled the tender shoulder. Violet eyes glanced over at him, taking one last look at the snoozing clone before turning to completely face Rex.

Standing up she gingerly placed the empty glass of water beside her datapad, not grabbing the technology to clutch at it as he would have expected "I'm Dr. Jenna Starling, but as I stated earlier, I prefer Jenna. You are Captain Rex of the 501st Battalion. I've heard a great deal about you, and I'm impressed."

Rex gave her the typical clone once over, a brow raised. Doctors typically flaunted their title, and never offered their opinion on a clone's military record.

"May I?" Jenna asked softly, gesturing to see his shoulder. He nodded, still not trusting himself to speak. Her fingers were cool on his scarred tissue, and he winced when a spark of plain flared through his arm when they grazed over the incision point. "Forgive me... I was just overwhelmed by how well you were recovering. I didn't take into account the reality of the situation." He rich voice was soothing, and he barely registered that _she_ was apologizing to _him_.

 _This woman get's far more peculiar the more she speaks._

One-handed she unclipped the med-scanner, lighting his shoulder up in haze of blue. "Your tissue has responded very well to the new scapula, and nerves around the area are showing regular ammounts of activity now that the transmitters have replaced the damaged sections. Compared to you last scan the nerves in this area have doubled in activity. I would say that the nerve replacement was a success." Stepping back she smiled at him. "How do you feel?"

He couldn't help but let his mouth drop open in surprise, closing it with a snap as he realized that he had probably looked as foolish as Det had when the scarred trooper was hyperventilating on the floor. "I feel fine. I have regained limited movement in the arm, and can once again use all my fingers... However, it does feel..."

The doctor nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Uncomfortable."

Chewing on her bottom lip she scooped up the datapad, activating it and swiping the screen fiercely. "The nerves _are_ recovered, however we have a lot of progress to make with you. If I asked you to grab the glass off the table with that hand you wouldn't be limited due to the recent surgery... You simply cannot make the limb do what you want it to."

"I'll figure it out." He couldn't keep the growl out of his voice. _Shabla doctors, they think they know everything._ His eyes narrowed, and he considered calling in Az-3 to give her a summary of all the things he could do with the injured arm.

The droid whirred to his side, motors slowing as he lowered himself down to the Captain's level. No matter if Az was a tinny, it felt good to have _someone_ backing him up. Jenna raised one brow, the captain returning the look.

The silence stretched between them as the two silently struggled for the position of control, the droid looking between the two of them worriedly. Rolling her eyes the bronzed doctor broke eye contact, glancing over at Det's motionless form on the couch. "Is he your bodyguard, friend... or did The Emperor set him over you to keep you monitered?"

Startled from his trance the captain tried to recall what she had asked, stuttering out his reply, "H-he's a friend." Crossing his arms and sighing at his mistep he relaxed into the chair, his body to big to conform to the chair comfortably.

"Well that is a relief."

He eyed her again, trying to make sense of her behavior. Females were known to be sporadic and bipolar, not often conforming to the norm, hence there being none in the GAR. _Ahsoka was the only female I saw on a daily basis, and she certainly fits that description._

"As you know I am your physical therapist, and I am here to help you get to your top form by the end of three months... hopefully less than that. I will be spending three hours with you twice a day... Would you like me to include your friend in these therapy sessions?"

Trying not to stare at her he shrugged, ignoring the pain that rippled through his tense body at the gesture. "He's on duty on and off... I can't say when he'll be here." He made sure to measure his words, not daring to give her too much to work with. The knowledge that she had seen Det with him perplexed the soldier, but he was going to wrestle one issue at a time.

Frowning Jenna looked over at the brunette once more, "He is welcome to join at any time... As long as you actually accomplish the tasks I give you." She offered him a teasing smile before turning back to his datapad, tapping at the screen. The apartment was filled only with the sounds of Az-3's motors and the therapist's tapping.

Slowly he stood, the doctor not looking up at him as he made his way over to Det. The scars on the other man's face were far less pronounced, the thickest one that forked across the bride of his nose and brow the only one that remained completely visible.

Rex hadn't asked the trooper how he'd obtained the marks, but now that he could study them freely he could tell that most were from shrapnel, several newer ones easily identified as splits from hand-to-hand combat.

Placing a hand on Det's shoulder he gave him a gentle shake, shaking his head in mock-dismay when his vod mumbled in his sleep but didn't wake. Deciding that it was best not to wake the trooper after seeing how he'd almost chopping his arm off last time the clone moved away, watching the doctor nervously as his fingers fidgeted with the hem of his v-neck t-shirt.

His civvie garb did little to make him feel protected, and he grimaced when he realized that it would be a while before he could wear his armor again. "Will we be... training, today?" He asked slowly, wondering if he was communicating properly.

"Yes, actually. Most shabuirs would keep you from it... But I can tell that you're ready." Her use of Mando'an surprised him, and he made a mental note that using the language with Det would offer them no privacy. "We'll just take it easy and see what comes our way." Clipping the datapad to her hip she walked away in the direction of the medical facility, leaving the captain and his droid alone save Det.

Captain and droid exchanged a look, "I am amazed that we have not been deactivated yet." Az-3 chirped, sounding sincerely pleased.

"Clones don't get deactivated for treason, we get blasted." Rex hissed, rubbing his temples.

"Same end result." The med droid was 'pacing', flying back and forth in front of the clone. "I could attempt to retrieve one of you blasters. We could make it very quick. Better yet, you could use one of your viroblades from you armor to decapitate her-"

"What?" The clone hissed, groaning as he was overwhelmed by the speed at which things were progressing. He was a clone captain, trained by Jango Fett and several other renowned Mandalorians to adapt and handle stressful situations. A doctor and med droid should not have been all it took to overwhelm him. "I am not decapitating anyone. We leave the therapist alone. Just help me wake up Det before the doctor get's back in here."

Heading back over to the trooper's side he narrowly avoided the splash of water sailing towards them. Az-3's attack had worked, Det spluttering as the cold liquids awoke him from his slumber.

"What the fra-" Rex placed a hand over his mouth, communicating without words to the soldier that he needed him to shut up. It felt good to be able to understand someone without having to speak, and he relished the moment as long as he could.

"You're batnor ner vod." _drunk my brother_ He offered Det his functioning hand, helping the brother off the couch. Once again using hand signals he motioned towards the med bay, not noticing the smile tugging at Det's lips as he recalled the situation they were in.

A frown replaced the temporary smile, Det glaring at Az-3. "What did your droid do?" He snarled, rubbing his fingers through his wet hair.

Still leading the scarred clone towards the balcony, Rex chuckled at his friend's hurt expression. The droid and clone had apparently made a mutual agreement to respect each other, and Rex had started to think that the two could have liked each other. Apparently that wasn't a possibility for a long time now that Az had _betrayed_ Det. "I needed you to wake up. Fek, I barely missed that barrage of water he threw on you."

"Bic ni skana'din." _That really ticks me off_ , Det snarled, glaring daggers at the droid over his shoulder. "Remind me to rewire his eyes sockets next time he's charging."

"I heard that!" Az-3 cried shrilly, placing two appendages where his hips would have been. The droid then floated away, straightening out the couch cushions that Det had been sitting on.

Refocused on the task at hand Rex tightened his grip on Det's arm, "How do you get up here anyways?" The drop to the ground level of Coruscant was far too great for any type of ascension cable, and the clone captain clenched his jaw as he surveyed the outdoor living area.

Rolling his eyes the other clone unclipped his helmet from his belt, sealing the bucket on. There was a crackling sound as the external mic was activated, "I use an ascension cable and then climb."

 _Kriffin ARC's and their superiority issues... Always have to prove themselves..._ "You're hungover, Det." He made his tan arms cross over his chest, frowning when it took longer than he expected for his other arm to wind over and under the other.

"I was trained to work under harder conditions Rex... I'll be fine. Besides, that therapist... Uh, fixed me up right good. I was expecting to have a splitting headache but, uh... S'not that bad." Even with how inefficient the external mics were Rex could here the awkward hesitation in his brother's voice.

The Empire was putting enough strain and self-doubt on all the troopers, and Rex once again found himself eager to shoot the Kaminoans and Palps. "I don't doubt that you can do it, Det. I just don't fancy watching you get caught scaling a high-rise."

"You won't be watching, you'll be in there with your doctor."

Rex frowned at the tension in his brother's voice, and he gave him a hard look before nodding. "Be careful, ner vod." He clapped the clone on the back, grinning half-heartedly. _This is crazy. He's scaling one of Corrie's high-rise apartment buildings... To say that the wind is severe at these heights would be an understatement-_

Az-3 came out onto the balcony, "You must finish your farewells. Dr. Starling is performing a check of the conditions of the rec room and medical facility, and is almost done."

Nodding to the droid Rex looked over at Det, who was already over the balcony and adjusting his grip on the wall. They nodded to each other before the captain followed his droid inside, entering the room just as the doctor did.


End file.
